Unconditional Love
by Holyknightsteve
Summary: The epic saga of the romance between Lloyd and Sheena. What started out being such a simplistic quest quickly turns out to be a possibly world-ending event. How will our heroes manage to save Symphonia? (LloydXSheena)
1. Kind Eyes

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Lloyd, Sheena, Kratos, or any other characters from said game. All characters not in said game are owned by me as they are of my own creation.

A/N: BEWARE! SPOILERS WITHIN! The first 2 chapters will be a novelization of the game via the "Sheena Ending". Everything after that will be original material.  
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Chapter 1: Kind Eyes

"-oyd? Lloyd?" Colette was attempting to get Lloyd's attention as they were walking back towards Luin. They had just released the Seal of Wind and had encountered that mysterious assassin for the second time.

Lloyd shook his head. "Huh? Oh, sorry Colette. Guess I was just thinking…"

Genis piped up. "Really now? That's so unlike you Lloyd."

Lloyd gave him a cold stare. "Shut up, Genis." He turned back to Colette. "I was just thinking about that assassin we saw on the Ossa Trail and back at the Balacruf Mausoleum"

Colette looked a little puzzled, which was nothing new for her. "Hmm? What about her? Did you figure out a way to become friends with her?"

Lloyd looked to the sky. "Eh, not really. I'm just wondering why she was after you. She doesn't look like an assassin at all. Did you see her eyes?"

Colette nodded. "Yeah. Her eyes looked… kind. She didn't look like a bad person at all."

Kratos decided to toss in his thoughts after hearing their conversation thus far. "I concur. She had more than one opportunity to deal a mortal blow to Colette through-out the course of our last battle. And yet, she did not take a single one of those opportunities."

Lloyd looked at Kratos, a bit astonished. "Huh? You noticed that too?"

Kratos nodded. "Of course. I thought it was a fairly simple observation."

Lloyd looked a bit miffed at Kratos' last comment. "Hmph. Well excuse me for…"

Raine cut him off with a panicked yell. "Everyone! Look! There's smoke coming from Luin! We must hurry!" without waiting for anyone else, she took off running in the direction of the smoking city.

Kratos followed shortly behind. "You heard you teacher! Move it!"

The 3 younger adventurers ran after them before Kratos even finished his sentence.

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"This is awful…" Colette said in a low voice as she witnessed the destruction around her.

Kratos folded his arms, looking as if he wasn't very surprised. "It must have been the Desians. Only they would engage in such mindless destruction." He kicked a piece of splintered wood into a pile of rubble.

Lloyd's voice could be heard from afar! "Oh my gosh! YOU'RE here?!"

Puzzled, everyone ran to the sound of Lloyd's voice. The person he was referring to was none other than Sheena. She was kneeling, weak from the large amount of blood she had lost thus far via the bad wounds on her.

"Ugh… you people again. Well, here's your chance to finish me off. You better take it," she said defiantly.

"Stop talking like that. We don't want to hurt you," Lloyd responded to her. He looked into her eyes. So kind, yet so full of fear now. She obviously wasn't very good at hiding her emotions. He turned to Raine. "Professor Raine, please help her."

Raine looked a bit irritated. She didn't think this was a good idea, but she knew she'd be pestered by her younger party members until she did it. "…all right, but I must say that I don't approve of this at all." She knelt down to begin to heal Sheena.

Sheena wore a look of surprise. She was relieved that she would live, but she never thought that the party of the girl she was supposed to kill,

Colette, would actually help her. These weren't bad people at all. Certainly not the kind that would seek to do harm of any sort to her home-world. She got up slowly after being healed and dusted herself off.

Colette looked relieved as she said, "Whew. I'm glad that you're ok."

Sheena had to ask the inevitable question. "W-why did you save me? We're enemies!"

Everyone was ready to all answer at the same time but Kratos beat them to it. "You're not a killer. It's not in your eyes." Everyone else nodded in approval.

Sheena looked down, perhaps a bit embarrassed. "T-thanks. I'm grateful for your --"

She was cut off by the sound an approaching monster. Newly healed, Sheena moved to intercept the beast but was promptly knocked down by it. She was still too weak from her previous blood-loss to put up much of a fight.

The monster moved to her fallen body, ready to deliver a fatal blow when, seemingly out of nowhere, Lloyd stepped in front of Sheena and promptly cut down the beast. He sheathed his blades and knelt down next to Sheena.

"Hey hey, now, take it easy. You're still in no condition to be fighting. You need some rest." He caught himself gazing at her eyes again and he shook his head. "By the way, can you tell us what happened to Luin?"

Sheena moved her lips indicating that she was about to speak but fell asleep before she could utter a single word. Lloyd picked her up in a cradle-like fashion.

"She's out cold. Can we go ahead and set-up camp here? Maybe she can tell us what happened later," Lloyd suggested.

Kratos nodded in approval. "I concur. I'll find a suitable camping spot for us." With that, he walked off.

Genis pulled some things out of his travel pack. "I'll cook us some dinner. Hope she likes Curry…"

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Quick Jump: Tower of Salvation

Sheena hit the ground, too weak to fight on. Kratos moved to her, possible meaning to end her life. He raised his sword and didn't move for a moment.

Lloyd got back up from his most recent hit. "You bastard! Leave her alone!" He rushed at Kratos who gave him a disapproving look. As he ran, Lloyd looked at Kratos. Kratos was so powerful. He knew he didn't stand a chance against him. Still… he couldn't just let Kratos get away with hurting his friends. Raine and Genis were already down for the count, leaving only a battered Sheena and himself to fight their friend turned traitor, Kratos.

Kratos said very coldly, "Lloyd… you have no chance. Just give up."

A few tears fell down Lloyd's cheek as he raised his blades to strike Kratos. "Never!"

Kratos easily dodged the hate-driven attacks and dealt two quick slashes to Lloyd's legs, effectively taking him out of the fight. Sheena could only watch for afar.

"He… he tried to save me again," she thought to herself. "He's really brave… it's too bad we've lost. I would've liked to talked to him again…"

After Lloyd fell, a being identifying himself as Yggdrasil appeared before the party and was ready to deliver the final blow to everyone that Kratos himself didn't have the heart to deal. Before this could happen, however, Botta and his band of Renegades made their way into the Tower of Salvation. Although too late to save Colette's soul, they gathered her lifeless body and the rest of her party and made their escape, leaving a perplexed Yggdrasil and Kratos behind.

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Quick Jump: Meltokio

It was an exciting night in Meltokio. Lloyd and company had just rescued Princess Hilda from the traitorous Pope and spirits were high in the city. To show his gratitude, the king of Meltokio was going to through a very fine party in honor of their success. As an additional gift, very fine outfits were provided for the group to be worn during the party.

Sheena sat alone and watched from afar as she watched Lloyd, Genis, and Colette perform some silly looking but fun dance from afar (A/N: Think "bizarre square-dance"), possibly a product of the humble village of Iselia. She could only smile, wishing that she could muster the courage to dance with Lloyd.

She sighed once Lloyd crossed her mind. To her, there was no way he'd dance with her. She figured that he'd dance with Colette the entire night, seeing how protective he'd been of her lately. She was happy to see how devoted Lloyd was to being Colette's best friend, but she had to admit… she was jealous.

Once their silly dance was over, everyone clapped. Once the applause died, someone announced that a popular Meltokio love song was about to be played. The announcer strongly encouraged everyone to find a partner for the slow dance that was to take place as the song was played.

Sheena observed as her friends picked partners. Genis and Presea had decided to dance together. Regal and Raine paired up as well. Zelos, Colette, and Lloyd were nowhere to be found. She assumed the worst, that being that Lloyd had chosen Colette and that stupid Chosen was currently looking for herself.

She waited a few moments, but no one came for her. She felt pre-maturely heartbroken and had gotten up to leave. She was almost through the door leading to the entrance hall when a rugged grabbed her left hand from behind. She whirled around to see Lloyd looking at her with a puzzled look.

"Sheena! Here you are! Where ya goin'?" he asked inquisitively.

Sheena's cheeks turned a bit red and she half-looked away. "N-nowhere." She continued to fib. "I… I was just going outside to get some fresh air.

Lloyd frowned at her, looking fairly disappointed as he did so. "Oh… I wanted to ask if you wouldn't mind dancing with me. I'm not very good but…"

Sheena turned a brighter red after hearing that. "Oh! I-I-I'd love to…" She paused a moment. "…I guess I was afraid that no one would ask me to dance with them."

Lloyd laughed. "What? Haha, you dork. I was going to ask you earlier, but I couldn't find you."

This came as a relief to Sheena. According to what he just said, she must have been his first choice. Her face began to return to its natural color as she smiled at Lloyd.

"Heh… well then Lloyd, could you be a gentleman and escort me to the dance floor?" She offered him her arm.

He took her slender arm with a laugh and locked it with his own. They reached the middle of the floor just as the song began to play and the lights were dimmed.

Sheena and Lloyd made a cute albeit a bit clumsy dance couple. As they danced, Sheena looked around her and spotted Colette dancing with "that stupid Chosen", Zelos. Colette smiled at her and waved without Zelos knowing. Sheena smiled back and waved as well.

After a few moments of dancing, Sheena began to rest her head on Lloyd's shoulder, a bit to his surprise.

"I never want this night to end Lloyd. This is so…" She stopped there. She didn't have the words. However, anyone who looked at the dreamy expression on her face knew exactly how she felt.

Lloyd kept a casual look on his face as he responded, "Huh? Haha… you know, we're gonna get tired eventually." He gave a half-shrug and continued to dance.

A moment later, the lights dimmed almost completely as a spotlight highlighted Sheena and Lloyd. Everyone around them stopped dancing and watched as Lloyd and Sheena continued on. They hadn't even noticed the change in atmosphere. Everyone smiled, thinking just how good a couple they made.

Once the song ended, the lights grew back to their normal level as the crowd cheered and applauded the now red-faced Sheena and Lloyd. Lloyd was merely a bit embarrassed, but Sheena was completely flushed.

The host of the party then posed a question to the dinner party. "Isn't it grand to see something like this? Never before have I seen such an adorable couple!" He looked at Lloyd and Sheena. "How about giving us one more dance you two?"

The crowd applauded at the idea. Lloyd let out an embarrassed and chuckle.

"Uh… hehe… um, how about it Sheena? One more time?" he said to her in a bit of a shy voice.

Sheena slowly nodded and joined hands once again with Lloyd. The crowd applauded once more as the lights dimmed and the music began again. The same spotlight that had shined on them once before did so once more as they began to dance.

Sheena rested her head on Lloyd's chest and he eyes began to slowly close. Not long afterward, her eyes shot open as she realized something.

"W-what? I… I think I'm in love with Lloyd. Is he… the one?" she thought to herself.

She looked up lovingly at him. He noticed then and gave her a warm, closed-eyes smile. She smiled back and went back to resting her head as they danced. It was truly a wonderful night for her. Only one question remained: How did Lloyd feel about her in return?


	2. Tomorrow's Promise

A/N: This will be the last chapter of the novelization of the "Sheena Ending" for Tales of Symphonia. The next chapter will be the beginning of what happened after ToS. Remember, certain scenes have been changed. Partly I WANT them to change. Partly cuz I can't remember how they really went ( ). Thanks to everyone for both the great compliments and the constructive criticism. I do agree that I made Lloyd a bit thick-headed. I want him to be that way, but I'll try to tone it down a bit.  
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Chapter 2: Tomorrow's Promise

Quick Jump: Flanoir

Lloyd sat in front of the window of his room in Flanoir's inn. It was perhaps around midnight but Lloyd was not the least bit tired. Finding out that your father is a traitorous 4,000 year old angel will do that to you. He sighed as he watched the snow fell. Tomorrow, they would fight Mithos… and possibly Kratos. He wondered if, knowing what he knows now, he would have the heart to raise his swords against his own father.

Lloyd's train of thought was interrupted by a knock on the door. Still sitting, Lloyd turned to the door. "Who is it? Come on in."

The door opened and a heavily dressed Sheena walked in. "Hey Lloyd. Can't sleep, huh?"

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah. Got a lot on my mind I guess."

Sheena said nothing for a moment. She couldn't begin to know how he was feeling now. Despite that, she intended to do what she came to do.

"Hey Lloyd… it's really pretty outside. I'm gonna go for a walk. I don't suppose… ah…" She froze for a moment and shook her head. "…don't suppose you'd want to go for a walk, would you?"

Lloyd stood up and began to put on some warmer clothes. "Yeah, I'd like to actually. I've got a lot on my mind, so I wanted to talk with someone... especially you, Sheena."

Sheena blushed a little. His response was better than she had hoped for. "Great! I'll meet you outside then!" With that, she left the room and headed downstairs.

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"It's so nice out here…" Sheena said dreamily. "So peaceful… so beautiful." She walked to the balcony in front of Flanoir's church and leaned on the railing.

Lloyd stood next to Sheena on the small balcony and reached his hand out to touch the falling snow. "It is pretty nice out here, isn't it?"

Sheena looked back at Lloyd and smiled. "You got that right." She stopped leaning on the railing and stood up. She then folded her arms and shivered a bit. "Heh… sure is cold though."

Lloyd closed his eyes and laughed. "You dork. It's supposed to be cold when it snows. Here…" He moved closer to Sheena and held her in both of his arms, much to her surprise.

She began to blush. "H-huh? What...?"

"I'll keep you warm," Lloyd said matter-of-factly. "I wanna stay out here for at least a little, so I wanna make sure you're comfortable."

Sheena smiled, still red in the face. "Thank you Lloyd. You're such a gentleman." She thought Lloyd was holding her a bit too tightly on account of his great strength and his sense of protectiveness in general, but she didn't mind. In fact, she loved every moment of it.

Sheena looked back out towards the snowbound city and Lloyd looked down at the beautiful summoner. "Sheena sure is a nice girl. And I thought Colette was a good person," Lloyd was thinking to himself. Something then went off in the back of his mind. He was feeling something entirely new to him. Something he had never felt before. He didn't know what it was, but he knew that holding Sheena made the feeling even stronger.

Lloyd stared blankly out towards the city. "That's weird… never felt that way about anyone before." He paused his thoughts for a moment and held Sheena a tiny bit tighter, strengthening the feeling even more. "There it goes again! I wonder…"

He looked back down at Sheena. "…I must _really_ like Sheena. I wonder why I never felt this way toward anyone before. Oh well… doesn't matter. It feels good. That's all that counts."

Sheena abruptly put the brakes on his train of thought. "Umm… Lloyd? Can you loosen up just a tiny bit? Gettin' a little hard to breathe."

Lloyd immediately loosened up. "Uh, hehe… sorry. I guess the uh… scenery kinda took my breath away?"

Sheena looked up at him and smiled. "You too, huh? Sure, we've both seen snow before, but I bet it was never with a backdrop like this before." She turned back around.

Lloyd went back to his inner thoughts. Then his eyes shot wide open. He thought he had it figured out. He just had to tell Sheena!

"Sheena? Can I tell you something?" He asked with a bit of nervousness in his voice.

Sheena turned back to him with a hopeful look in her eyes. "Of course Lloyd. What is it?"

Lloyd took a deep breath. "Sheena… I…I think…"

Sheena gave him a warm smile. "You think what, Lloyd?"

Lloyd tried again. "Sheena… I think… that you're the greatest friend I ever had." He breathed a sigh of relief. It was a little easier than he thought. He wondered how Sheena would react to what he thought would be the greatest compliment in the world.

Sheena was obviously (to normal people) disappointed but Lloyd only saw the smile on her face. It wasn't quite what she wanted to hear. She turned back around, feeling both happy and sad at the same time and leaned against Lloyd's chest. "Idiot," she whispered to herself as she rolled his eyes in a friendly way.

Lloyd tilted his head. "Hmm? What was that Sheena?"

Sheena clasped his right hand with both of her own. "Nothing. Thank you Lloyd. You're a sweet-heart." It wasn't as bad as she thought at first. Considering it was Lloyd, this was a pretty decent start. "Patience Sheena… he'll get it someday," she thought to herself as she closed her eyes. The sense of comfort and security he gave Sheena was enough to actually cause her to fall asleep in his arms while she was still standing.

Lloyd smiled as he lifted her up and cradled her in his arms. "You dork. You must be tired. We can always talk another time." With that, he carried Sheena back to the inn.

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Quick Jump: Heimdall

Lloyd looked up at the starry heavens, his mind lost in a maze of thoughts. They had done it. They had defeated both Pronyma, the final Desian Grand Cardinal, and Mithos, the hero-turned-madman and leader of Cruxis. They paid a heavy price though. Zelos, upset with his own role as the Chosen of Tethe'alla and fed up with life in general, fought his own comrades in the Tower of Salvation, hoping that this finally end his miserable life. Zelos survived the encounter, but would never be the same again. His left arm was paralyzed for life and had suffered enough permanent damage in his legs that walking would be excruciating at best for as long as he lived.

Colette, saddened by the outcome of the battle with Zelos, decided that she would stay behind in Meltokio to both ease his nerves and help him cope with the physical trauma he had suffered. This left Lloyd with only a party of 6 to face what he thought would be the final obstacles in their journey to save the two worlds: defeating Kratos and forming a pact with Origin, king of the summon spirits.

Lloyd sat up when he heard someone walking through the grass, not far from where he was laying. "Who's there?"

Sheena stepped forward from the shadows. "Hey Lloyd. Mind if I join you?"

Lloyd nodded. "Please do. I was getting a little lonely."

Sheena smiled and lay down next to him. They both looked up at the stars above, their arms folded behind their heads as they did so.

Without looking at him Sheena asked him, "So whatcha thinking about? Your fight with Kratos tomorrow?"

Lloyd shrugged. "Kinda, but that's not the main thing on my mind."

Sheena looked over in his direction, a bit perplexed. What could be more important than that fight to him? "Oh? What's the main thing on your mind then."

"Well...," he began, "I was thinking about what I'm going to do after we take care of everything."

Sheena looked back upward but folded her arms on her chest this time. "Really? What are you planning?"

He didn't say anything for a moment. He put his right hand on the exsphere attached to his left hand. "I think I'm going to go on a journey to find all the exspheres in the world… and destroy them.

He took the exsphere out of its crest and held it up to the sky. As he did so, he felt a wave of weakness flow through him. "And mom's going to help me do it."

Sheena touched her exsphere. She had no idea "who" it used to be, but this person had helped her so much throughout the course of her journey. She agreed with Lloyd's idea, and was hoping that she could one day release the person within the exsphere.

She looked over at Lloyd as he put his exsphere back in the crest. "Are you going alone?"

He shrugged again. "I don't want to, but I probably will. I hear everyone else has plans to help rebuild the world after we finish everything, so I doubt anyone will be joining me."

Sheena sat up part-way. "I-I'll go with you!"

Lloyd looked over at her with a curious look on his face. "Huh? But Sheena, I thought you had plans to return to your village to take over your role as chief?"

Sheena looked at him with determination. "Don't worry about that. Grandpa or the vice-chief can take care of it while I'm gone. Besides… uh…" Her face grew red and she turned away for a moment.

Lloyd sat up. "Hmm? Besides what?"

Sheena swallowed a lump in a throat, nodded to herself, and turned back around. "Lloyd I… I want to be with you."

Just hearing that filled Lloyd with a great deal of happiness. He couldn't hope for more from a friend. She had to be the greatest friend ever in the history of the world(s). "I want to be with you too Sheena."

An excited smile crossed Sheena's lips as she leaned over and hugged Lloyd tightly. She pulled away for a moment and looked into his eyes. "It's a promise then? If you don't keep it, I'm going to invoke the Mizuho tradition of making a liar swallow a thousand needles!"

Lloyd swallowed. "Whoa… okay, okay. I promise."

They both shared a laugh and smiled warmly at each other. Afterward, they laid back down... but closer to each other. They watched the stars above from the safety of each other's arms… and eventually fell asleep.

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Quick Jump: Derris Kharlan

"Help… please… someone help me," Sheena cried out as she could do nothing but look on as Mithos possessed her body. She was doing her best to fight Mithos, but she was slowly losing. At this rate, her soul would be lost forever.

Mithos was almost at the portal leading to Welgaia, the city of angels. "Heh. Stupid girl. Once she's gone, I'll be ready to leave with Derris Kharlan! I'll finally be together with my sister again!" His evil laugh echoed across Derris Kharlan.

The possessed Sheena finally reached the portal. An evil grin crossed her lips. "Wait for me Martel. We'll be home soon…" (S)he was about to take the last step when Sheena's soul mad eon last attempt to stop Mithos. (S)he stopped dead in his/her tracks.

"Dah! Damnit woman! Give it up already! You've lost! Submit yourself and the end will come much easier for you!" (S)he tried to take the last step but just couldn't.

Sheena cried within her soul as she continued to struggle. She couldn't fight for long. She was only delaying the inevitable. "Lloyd… I'm sorry. I wish I could've told you how I really felt. I-"

She was cut off as something behind Mithos caught his attention. Sheena's body whirled around and couldn't believe his/her eyes. At the portal leading back to the lower levels of Derris Kharlan… was none other than Lloyd.

Mithos panicked. "No! Not now! I can't lose this body!" He struggled to run away but didn't move an inch.

Sheena knew Lloyd couldn't hear her but cried out anyway, "Lloyd! Please, help me! I'm so scared!" She began to sob.

Lloyd ran at the possessed Sheena, yelling, "Let her go Mithos!" as he did so. Once he reached Sheena, he didn't touch her but tried desperately to talk to her.

"Sheena! Can you hear me?! It's Lloyd! You have to fight Mithos! I can't do it for you unless I injure your body!" He voice quivered with worry as he talked to the possessed girl.

Mithos could be heard through Sheena. "Get out of here Lloyd! She's mine! You wouldn't dare hurt me! You'll kill her too!" He let out an evil albeit nervous laugh.

Lloyd tried once more. "Please Sheena! I don't want to lose you!" He grabbed Sheena's hand and held it as gently as possible in both of his. "I believe in you Sheena! We made a promise, remember?"

Sheena's tears stopped flowing. Even from within her soul, she felt the warmth of Lloyd's hands as they touched her own. She smiled when she heard Lloyd.

"Lloyd…" she said to herself. "A promise is a promise. Thank you Lloyd!" She spread her arms and shattered the walls of her soul prison. As she did so, she heard Mithos scream. It eventually became inaudible. She had won… thanks to Lloyd.

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When Sheena came to, she saw Lloyd kneeling down next to her fallen body. He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw her open her eyes.

"Welcome back Sheena. I was so worried about you. Are you ok?" He smiled warmly at his best friend.

Sheena's eyes filled with tears as she threw her arms around Lloyd. "Oh Lloyd! I was so scared!" She began to sob uncontrollably. "I-I-I thought I'd never get to see you again."

Sheena looked into Lloyd's eyes and calmed down a bit. "Lloyd… just hearing your voice saved me. I heard every word you said. Thank you Lloyd."

Lloyd rubbed his head and blushed. "Aww, hehe, it was nothing. I wasn't about to let that creep take the greatest girl in the world away from me!"

Sheena wore a frozen expression on her face for a moment. Afterward, she looked at him lovingly and kissed him on the cheek.

Lloyd blushed fiercely. "Wh-what was that for? I, uh, hehe…thanks?"

Sheena smiled at him and punched him playfully in the arm. "Shouldn't I be the one thanking you?"

Lloyd grinned and stood up, helping Sheena up as he did so. "Heh. Yeah." He looked in the direction of the portal leading to Welgaia.

Lloyd held Sheena's hand. "Let's finish this Sheena. Let's go find our friends and settle with Mithos, once and for all! Together!"

Sheena nodded happily. "Yes…together."

Hands held tightly, they ran together through the portal.

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The rest after this is history. Mithos was defeated and balance was brought back to the worlds as they became one once more. The tree was named "Anna" after Lloyd's mother and he vowed to always care for the tree, no matter what. Tomorrow, he and all his friends would part ways as they left to take care of their own duties… except for Sheena… and one other. They would begin their quest of ridding the world of exspheres, as well as dealing with any other problems that arise along the way. For now though, they would celebrate their great victory at mansion of the much healthier, mentally and physically, Zelos. After all the 9 friends (Kratos included) had been through, they had certainly earned it.

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Whew! Finally done with the novelization! How was it? As I said before, the next chapter will be the beginning of an entirely new story for Lloyd, Sheena… and one other person. Who is it though? Heh… please R&R and I'll write the next chapter as I do so.


	3. A New Beginning

A/N: Ok, now begins the story of what happened after the events of ToS. Concerning the tree, as Lloyd (Irving) Aurion pointed out, I didn't know what the name of the tree was. All I heard at the end of the game was "The name of this tree is…" and then it stopped… I think. Oh well. On with the show, er, story! Thanks again to everyone for the reviews!

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Chapter 3: A New Beginning

No one wanted this day to come, but they knew it was inevitable. It was time for everyone to say goodbye. While it was true that, now that the worlds were one once again and they could visit each other any time they wanted to, it just wouldn't be the same as it was before.

Everyone went their separate ways. Raine and Genis began their quest to stop racism world-wide. Regal and Presea went back to Altamira to aid the company in rebuilding the world, especially Ozette and Palmacosta. Colette returned to Iselia to live a simple life, just like she always wanted. Zelos turned over his entire fortune and title of "Chosen" to Seles and went to live with in with Colette in Iselia as a sort of retirement. Sheena and Lloyd were to travel together to destroy any exspheres remaining in the world. That left only Kratos…

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2 Rheiards landed about 100 yards away from the ruins of the Tower of Salvation. Lloyd and Sheena dismounted off of one and Kratos, the other. They walked up to the steps that led to the portal to Derris Kharlan and stopped. Kratos took a few more steps and looked back towards them.

"I suppose this is where we say goodbye," Kratos said sadly.

Sheena brought her hands to her face and sobbed in them. Lloyd wanted to cry as well but did his best to hold back.

"I still don't understand why you have to go dad," he told Kratos.

Kratos folded his arms. "The remaining angels of Cruxis are disoriented now that Mithos is gone. If I go to lead them, perhaps my influence will sway them back to the way they were so many thousands of years ago. I can't risk leaving them alone."

Lloyd looked down at the ground. "But still…"

Kratos held out his hand as if to say "stop". "Now now Lloyd, you'll be fine without me. Besides…" He pointed to Sheena. "You have more important things to think about now besides me."

Sheena wrapped her arms around Lloyd's stomach and rested her head on his shoulder. She looked at Kratos with a heart-felt smile on her lips, despite the tears that were still in her eyes.

"We'll miss you Kratos. Thank you for coming to our rescue in the end." She hugged Lloyd a little tighter.

Lloyd wrapped his right arm around Sheena. "Dad… thank you. For everything."

Kratos smiled despite the sad look in his eyes. "I'm sorry I could not have done more for you Lloyd… my son."

He walked over to the young couple and hugged both of them lightly at once. Once done, he walked back towards the steps.

"Farewell, Lloyd and Sheena," he said without looking back. "You two are proof that even an immortal can learn new things."

The young swordsman and summoner held each other tightly as they watched Kratos begin to ascend the steps. As he did so, a figure came sliding down the cliff side next to the tower ruins.

"Kratos! Wait!" the man said. Once the young couple caught a glimpse of his hair, they knew immediately who it was: Yuan.

Kratos quickly turned in Yuan's direction. "Yuan? What are you doing here?"

Yuan, breathing heavily, folded his arms and said, "I'm here to tell you that you can't go back to Derris Kharlan. There is no need to."

Kratos tilted his head. "And why is that, Yuan?"

Yuan finally caught his breath. "Because I'm going to go in your place."

Kratos gave Yuan a cold stare. "No you're not. The renegades…"

"Don't need me anymore," Yuan finished. "Mithos has been defeated. The worlds are one. All that's left to do is to help in the process of rebuilding the new world. They won't need me for that."

Kratos wore a blank expression. "That may be true, but…"

"But nothing," Yuan interrupted. "You have a son here who you haven't known for not very long at all and yet you so eagerly want to leave him?"

Kratos was dumbfounded. "I…"

Yuan waved his hand. "Stay here Kratos. Your son still needs you. I'm sure Anna would agree."

Kratos looked down. He was right… again.

"Besides…" Yuan started, "…it'll bring me closer to Martel. Not in the same way that Mithos thought, mind you." He rubbed the ring with the letters Y and M on it. "It's my true home Kratos. It was Martel's as well."

He put his hand on Kratos' shoulder. "Let me go home, Kratos… old friend."

Kratos didn't know what to say. Behind him, a perplexed Lloyd and Sheena looked on as the two angels talked.

Kratos put his hand on Yuan's shoulder. "Alright Yuan… go then… and thank you."

Yuan and smiled as he backed up. "Farewell Kratos. I'm sure we'll meet again someday. Until then…" He bowed slightly as he made his way up the stairs and through the portal.

Kratos only stood there for a moment, trying to take in everything that just happened. Lloyd and Sheena ran up to him and took either side of him.

"Dad? Are you ok? What happened?" Lloyd asked.

Kratos turned to Lloyd, then Sheena, and then the portal once more. He smiled. "Thank you Yuan," he whispered to himself.

"Did you say something Kratos?" asked Sheena.

Kratos turned back around and walked down the stairs. "Looks like I won't be going after all. I hope you don't mind my company."

Lloyd and Sheena looked at each other with excited expressions on their faces and ran down to hug Kratos. He hugged them back, a tear of joy falling from him as he did so.

"Heh," Kratos started. "If it's ok with you, I would like to accompany the two of you on your journey."

Sheena looked up at him. "Are you serious Kratos?!"

Kratos nodded. "Of course. Besides…" He looked down at Lloyd. "I think Lloyd could use another pointer or two concerning his swordplay."

Lloyd frowned. "Hey! Grr…"

Kratos and Sheena both laughed. Shortly later, Lloyd joined them.

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The Rheiards landed not too far from Dirk's house. The 3 heroes dismounted and put the Rheiards back in the wing-pack. Once packed, they walked down the path that led to Dirk's house.

There came a knock at the door that startled the dwarf. "Aye? Who is it? Come in."

In walked Lloyd, Sheena and Kratos. They smiled as they saw the dwarf walk up to them with an excited expression on his face.

"Lloyd! Sheena! …Kratos?!" He looked a bit puzzled when he said Kratos' name. "I thought ye were goin' back to Derris Kharlan. What happened?"

Kratos was ready to speak but Lloyd rudely interrupted him. "Hi dad! Let's talk about it over dinner! What's cookin' tonight?"

Dirk looked a little worried. "Ah… ah'm sorry Lloyd, but I didn't think you were going to be home today so…"

Sheena waved her hand. "That's ok Dirk. I can cook us some dinner. Does pineapple curry sound good to everyone?"

"Heck yea! That stuff's great!" Lloyd exclaimed.

Kratos grinned. "Heh… a treat, to be sure."

Dirk smiled. "Pineapple curry, eh? Never had it before but judgin' from these men's expressions, it must really be something, huh? Mind teachin' an old dwarf how to make it, lass?"

Sheena smiled with closed-eyes as her cheeks turned red. "Hehe! Of course Dirk! C'mon!"

The summoner and dwarf walked into the kitchen as Lloyd and Kratos sat down at the table and talked.

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"Aye, lassie! You were right! That was the most delicious curry I've ever had!" Dirk happily rubbed his stomach. "Haven't had that good of a meal in a while."

Sheena blushed, once again. "Why thank you Dirk. It's a recipe my grandpa taught me when I was little.

His stomach full, Kratos stood up and said, "That was a lovely meal Sheena. If you will all excuse me, I have some business to take care of before we set out tomorrow."

Lloyd looked up, face covered with curry. "Huh? Like what?"

Sheena rolled her eyes. "Piggy."

Lloyd glared at her. "I can't help it! It's good!"

Ignoring their argument, Kratos answered, "It doesn't matter. I'll be back in the morning. It is then that we will discuss our coming journey."

Lloyd mumbled, "I thought this was supposed to be mine and Sheena's journey. He's already taking charge."

Kratos smiled. "I heard that Lloyd. No offense, but you and plans don't seem to get along.

Sheena giggled as Lloyd stared at Kratos coldly, a piece of pineapple sticking out of his mouth as he did so.

Kratos turned to Dirk, who had just lit a pipe. "A moment of your time, Dirk?"

Dirk took a puff and looked over at Kratos. "Ah? Alright." He got up and walked outside with Kratos.

Sheena then yawned. "Whew… I'm getting a little tired."

Lloyd did the same. "Yeah, me too. Ready for bed?"

Sheena nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. But wait… don't you only have 2 beds? One for you and one for Dirk?"

Lloyd scratched his head. "Huh… you're right. Well, we can share if you want to, or you can have it to yourself."

Sheena's face turned blood red. "S-share a bed?"

Lloyd shrugged. "Yeah, what's wrong with that? Remember back in Heimdall?"

Sheena looked partially away. "Y-yea but…" She thought for a moment. She was getting worked up over nothing. Lloyd was as innocent as could be, like Colette. "Haha… probably wouldn't know what to do anyway," she thought to herself.

Sheena turned fully to him and nodded. "Alright, I don't mind sharing if you don't."

Lloyd grinned happily. "Great! I'm gonna throw on some other clothes. Did you bring anything to sleep in?"

Sheena nodded and walked over to her pack. From it, she produced a beautiful white and purple kimono.

Lloyd nodded. "Ok then, let me go grab my pajamas and I'll come back down so you can change upstairs."

Sheena agreed. "Alright. Sounds good to me."

Lloyd walked upstairs. "Be back in a sec!"

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Sheena turned when she heard Lloyd walking upstairs in a well-made pair of black and blue pajamas. Lloyd whistled when he saw Sheena, who immediately blushed.

"Lookin' good Sheena!" He closed his eyes and smiled.

Sheena giggled, knowing he wasn't being perverted or anything like that. "Thank you Lloyd. You're not lookin' too bad yourself."

Lloyd rubbed his head. "Heh, thanks. My dad made me these before I left on my first journey."

The stopped to look at each other for a moment. Sheena still felt a little awkward but Lloyd, as oblivious as ever, thought nothing of it.

"I'll hop in first. That'll give you more room on the bed," said Lloyd.

Sheena nodded. "Thank you Lloyd. You're a real gentlemen."

Lloyd smiled once more and turned off the lights and climbed into bed.

Sheena followed his lead and climbed into bed and turned to hold him.

"Good night Llo-" She stopped. She heard Lloyd snoring. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Totally innocent. Heh…" She closed her eyes, thoughts of herself and Lloyd together forever drifting through her mind as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

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So Kratos is the one that will be joining them on their journey! But what did he want to talk to Dirk about? And what "business" did he have to take care of? Hmm… R&R, please!


	4. Setting Out

A/N: Chapter 4 is now upon us. I really appreciate the reviews! The more I get, the more motivated I feel to update even more! Keep on R&Ring!

As a side-note, I'd like to get everyone's opinion on something. I'm thinking about writing a relatively short side-story about what happens to Colette and Zelos in Iselia. Yes, I was hinting at ZelosXColette. Never seen anyone do that before (correct me if I'm wrong), so I thought it might be fun to do it as a side-story and nothing more. Unconditional Love will remain as the focus of my attention. Anyway, on with the show, err… w/e.

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Chapter 4: Setting Out

Sheena awakened as brilliant rays of sunshine poured through the door that lead to his balcony. She found that she still holding Lloyd and smiled. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek again after she had made sure that he was still asleep.

"Good morning Lloyd," she whispered. "Thank you for the best night of sleep I've ever had." Smiling, she rose out of bed as quietly as possible, not wanting to wake Lloyd up immediately. It was to no avail however, for when Sheena let go of Lloyd, he was already beginning to wake up.

"Hmm? Sheena?" he asked, sleepily. "Is it time to get up?"

Sheena spun around, surprised. "Ah! Lloyd, I didn't know you were awake." She grew a bit nervous. She had wondered if he was awake when she said what she said. She grew red in the face.

"Sheena?" he began, "Why are you turning so red?"

Sheena had an idea. "Oh I… I was just getting ready to get dressed. Can you please face the wall while I do so?"

Lloyd nodded with a yawn. "Oh sure. Didn't mean to peek, sorry." He turned back around.

Sheena released a sigh of relief. It worked. Relieved, she began to get dressed. "Once I get dressed, I'll make us some breakfast. How do omelettes sound?"

Lloyd yawned again. "Yummy."

Sheena smiled as she slipped off her kimono. "I'll take that as a yes."

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Lloyd came downstairs in his red traveling suit. Walking to the kitchen, he saw the beautiful summoner dressed in her normal attire as she scraping some omelettes off of a pan and onto three plates, the third being for Dirk.

"Boys! Breakfast!" Sheena hollered happily.

Hearing the call for breakfast, Lloyd dashed to the kitchen and grabbed a plate. "Thanks Sheena! Looks good, as usual!" Without waiting for a response from Sheena, he sat down at the table and began eating.

Sheena giggled, happy that Lloyd enjoyed her cooking so much. Looking around, she had noticed that Dirk hadn't shown up yet.

"I'll be back in a moment Lloyd," she said as she left the kitchen in search of Dirk.

She found Dirk at his forge. He had just finished crafting something small, as he stuffed whatever it was into his pocket as he heard Sheena walk in.

"Dirk? Breakfast is made. We're having omelettes." She said.

Dirk nodded. "Ah, alright lassie. Sounds good. Sorry fer makin' ye wait." He walked into the kitchen and they both sat down and ate their breakfast with the ravenous Lloyd.

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Their breakfasts finished, the three made their way outside to where Kratos was waiting. He nodded to them as they walked out.

"Good morning everyone," he started. "I trust that you slept well?"

Lloyd gave a closed-eyes smile. "Yup! Sure did! Sheena sure is comfortable!" he said obliviously.

Dirk and Kratos tilted their heads. "Pardon me?" Kratos asked.

Sheena's face turned a fierce red and turned away from them.

Lloyd explained, "Well, we only had one bed, so I slept on the wall-side of the bed and let Sheena have the outside half of it."

Dirk wore a blank expression on his face. Kratos chuckled.

"Heh. That was… nice of you Lloyd," Kratos said with a bit of sarcasm.

Lloyd laughed. "Ah, hehe, it was nothing. I was just gonna sleep on the floor but Sheena said she didn't mind sharing."

Kratos smirked at Sheena. "Is that so? Heh…"

Sheena thought she was going to die at that point. She felt lucky that Lloyd was so oblivious. She wanted to smack Kratos but didn't. He was making it look like a bigger deal that it was… or was he?

She turned back around, not nearly as red as before. "A-anyway, are we ready to go?"

Dirk broke in. "Ah, one moment lass. I need to talk to Kratos before ye head out." With that, Kratos and Dirk walked around a corner of the house and disappeared from Sheena and Lloyd's field of view.

Lloyd looked at Sheena. "Hey Sheena, did you see the looks on their faces? What was wrong with them?"

Sheena didn't know how to answer without embarrassing her. So she told a white lie.

"I have no clue," she started. "Maybe they're just weird like that."

Lloyd bought it. "Ah, ok. That makes sense."

They stood looking at each other for a moment and didn't say a word. Sheena still felt a little awkward from the earlier incident.

Lloyd broke the silence. "Hey Sheena?"

Sheena perked up. "Yes Lloyd?"

Lloyd moved over to Sheena. "I just wanted to thank you for coming on this journey with us. It means so much to me."

Sheena blushed as she smiled. "No, no Lloyd. It's my pleasure."

Lloyd wrapped his arms around her and hugged her once he was close enough. "It just wouldn't be the same without my best friend in the entire world."

Sheena was hoping he would say something different, but wasn't surprised when he didn't. She just closed her eyes and nodded in response to him, not losing a bit of her smile as she did so.

"I'm serious, Sheena," he continued. "Every time I'm close to you, I feel so much stronger. When I'm around you, I feel like nothing is impossible. You give me this strange, yet, wonderful feeling every time you talk to me. I don't know what it is… but I like it."

Sheena thought for a moment. In the back of her mind, she was thinking that perhaps what he was feeling was love but he didn't know how to recognize it. The only other possibility is that all he really wants is a _very_ good friend. She accepted the former thought more so than the latter.

Sheena hugged back, nuzzling his neck with her nose as she did so. "Thank you Lloyd. To tell the truth, I feel the exact same way about you. Remember back when I fought Kuchinawa? I think that the only reason I won was because you were there. You truly do make me feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

She then heard Lloyd snicker. "Wh-what's so funny?" she said, quite irritated.

Lloyd pulled a bit back. "Haha, sorry. Your nose was tickling me."

Sheena blushed again and her smile came back to her. "Heh… sorry 'bout that."

Lloyd closed his eyes and grinned. "Sorry? Heck, I was liking it! For whatever reason, it felt good. It certainly felt better than all those times Colette and Genis gang-tickled me." He nodded twice.

Sheena put her left hand on her hip. "Gang-tickled, eh? That must've been a blast."

Lloyd scratched his head. "Hehe… not really for me. Couldn't even defend myself."

They both shared a good hearty laugh as Dirk and Kratos came back from around the house.

Kratos spoke first. "Heh. Are you two ready to go?"

They both nodded with a smile. Sheena put her hand on Lloyd's shoulder and he glanced back at her. He gave a thumbs-up with his free hand and they both turned back to Kratos and Dirk.

"Well then, I guess this is goodbye for now," said Dirk. He didn't want to see them go, but he wasn't about to stop them either. Besides, he was hoping that this would be a good time for Lloyd and Sheena to bond. He thought they made a cute couple and was hoping they would officially get together.

Lloyd walked over to Dirk and shook hands with him. "Bye dad. Hopefully, we won't be gone for terribly long."

Sheena walked over and leaned down a bit to give Dirk a firm hug. "Thanks for everything Dirk. We'll try to bring some souvenirs back!"

Dirk chuckled. "Ah lassies, I look forward to that. Now run along you two. Kratos, take care of these two, will you?"

Kratos gave a slight bow. "Naturally. Thank you again for everything Dirk." Kratos reached inside his pocket, fumbled with something inside, and pulled his hand back out.

The 3 adventurers waved to Dirk as they walked down the path leading away from his house.

Dirk waved back as he slowly shook his head. "Ah. Lloyd, my boy, don't stay oblivious for too long, eh?" He walked back inside his house.

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Sheena looked over at Lloyd. "So where are we going first?"

Lloyd paused and thought for a moment. "Well, we could go ahead and check out the Iselia-region human ranch. It's close to hear anyway and we practically have to cross through it to leave the forest so…"

Kratos interrupted him. "I concur. The Renegades shut down the ranch, true, but my guess is that they didn't search for exspheres or other such things."

Lloyd nodded in his direction. "Right. Wouldn't hurt to check, so we'll go there first. Then we'll destroy the ranch just in case. Sound good, Sheena?"

Sheena twirled a red card in her hand. "Leave it to me and Efreet! Place'll be nothing but ashes by the time we're through with it."

Lloyd clenched his right fist confidently. "Alright, then it's decided. To the Iselia Ranch!"

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And chapter 4 is done. Short chapter but I'm gonna put Iselia ranch and something else into the next chapter. Lloyd's still oblivious, but at least he's acknowledging that only Sheena gives him this new feeling he has. If nothing else, at least he enjoys a good tickle from Sheena Anyway, please R&R and let me know what you think about the side-story I mentioned in the A/N above.


	5. Back at the Ranch

--A/N: Ok! Few things! First off, I will be making the Zelos/Colette side-story. It will be called "A Fun, Easy Life", and a full description can be found on my profile page. Don't worry though. It's only a side-story, so I won't let it interfere with the production of "Unconditional Love."

Second, I won't be updating as often as I used to, which was about once every 1-2 days. Now, I think I will do about 2 or 3 chapters a week. Hope that's ok! I need to spend more time revising my writings anyway, so… yea.

Third, I once again want to thank everyone for all their kind reviews. I only have 4 chapters up so far and yet I've gotten so many reviews. I ask regular readers to not only keep reviewing but to please spread the word about my stories as well. It feels good to write when you know that someone will appreciate it, eh?

And with that, on to today's chapter! Steve

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Chapter 5: Back at the Ranch

The voluptuous assassin was lost in thought as the trio walked towards the Iselia human ranch. She looked around her as she thought. Thinking she finally figured it out, she looked to Lloyd.

"I got it!" she said confidently. "It's those flowers we passed a little way back, aren't they? They were white!"

Shaking his head and smiling, Lloyd answered, "Nope! Give up yet? You're not very good at I-Spy, are you?"

Frustrated, Sheena kicked the dirt as she walked. "Gah! What else can it be? Okay, I give up. What is this white thing you see?"

Lloyd pointed upward. "Clouds, you dork! Woo-hoo! Man, you're easy!"

Sheena looked up and grew even more frustrated. "Lloyd Irving! There's not even any clouds out today! You cheated!"

Kratos shook his head as he listened to his young companions. "Honestly Lloyd, that _was_ rather unfair."

Lloyd scratched his head. "Geez… sorry."

Shaking her head, Sheena said, "Hmph. Well, it's my turn now. I spy something-"

Kratos interrupted her. "No time for that. The ranch is now before us."

Sheena and Lloyd looked forward. They hadn't noticed it at first, but, sure enough, the ranch was less than 100 yards away.

Sheena grinned over at Lloyd. "Heh. Looks like we'll have to finish this game later."

The swordsman grinned back. "Heh. You're on!"

Kratos was already well ahead of them. "Come along, don't dawdle."

Lloyd and Sheena promptly took off after him.

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"Man," Lloyd started. "This place sure is quiet."

Sheena shot a disapproving look at him. "That's because everyone is gone, Lloyd."

"O-oh yeah, hehe…" Lloyd rubbed his head, embarrassed.

They looked around the ranch. The renegades had taken care of all the Desians and had supposedly shut down the base, so the level of danger was minimum at worst.

Kratos turned to the young adventurers. "I'm going to head inside and take a look around. I want you two to stay out here and search the grounds."

They both nodded to him and he made his way downstairs. Lloyd turned to his friend.

"Hey Sheena. Let's start over here. There's some crates and stuff over here." He pointed to where he was talking about.

"Alright Lloyd," she said. "Lead the way."

The two walked over to the crates that Lloyd had mentioned and began to rummage through them. Unfortunately, they were all empty. They must've already looted by the renegades.

"Phooey," said Lloyd. He kicked one of the empty crates knocking it a few feet away from him. "Isn't there an easier way to do this?"

Sheena rolled her eyes. "Lloyd, this was only the first place we've checked. Are you already getting lazy on me?"

Lloyd shook his head. "No no, it's just that… this is boring."

Sheena was silent for a moment. She brought a hand to her face and looked down. "Unbelievable, Lloyd Irving. We're on a quest to-"

"Gah! Don't get mad," Lloyd said, interrupting her. "Can't we just find a more fun way to do this? Like… I dunno. Summon someone to help us in our search?"

Sheena actually gave this idea some serious thought. Would any of the summon spirits be able to detect the presence of exspheres?

"I can give it a try," she answered. Thinking for another moment, she came to the conclusion that her best bet was to ask Luna if she could detect exspheres.

A small, white circle appeared under Sheena. She made several motions with her hands as she exclaimed, "I summon thee! Come, Luna!"

The maiden of light appeared before them through a bright flash. She sat on her moon and leaned over as she began to speak to them.

"What is your wish, pact-maker?" she asked Sheena.

Sheena looked up at her. "Luna, is it possible for you to detect the presence of expspheres?"

Luna shook her head. "I'm sorry pact-maker, but I can only detect life. Exspheres are life-less."

Lloyd sighed. "Phooey. So much for that."

Another idea came to Sheena. "Ok Luna, that is all. Thank you."

Luna gave a slight bow and disappeared into another bright flash of light. Once the light subsided, Sheena spoke once again.

"Let's try this again," she said. Another circle appeared under her. This one, however, was black. She made several motions with her hands as she exclaimed. "I summon thee! Come, Shadow!"

A black puddle appeared on the ground before her. From it emerged Shadow, the summon spirit of darkness.

"Yes?" the being of darkness hissed.

"Shadow," Sheena began, "can you detect the presence of exspheres?"

Shadow said nothing for a long while. This began to worry both Lloyd and Sheena.

"Sheena? What is he doing?" asked Lloyd.

Sheena shook her head and looked at Lloyd. "I'm not sure." She looked back at Shadow. "Um… Shadow?"

"No…thing… here… pact…maker…" hissed Shadow.

Sheena breathed a sigh of relief. "Whew. Thank you Shadow. That is all."

Shadow nothing as he melted back into his puddle and slowly vanished. Sheena turned to Lloyd.

"Well, that was easy, if not a bit creepy," she said.

Nodding in agreement, Lloyd said, "Yeah. I don't think I'll ever get used to that guy." He shivered. I suppose we should go find Kratos and tell him that there's nothing here."

"There is no need," said Kratos from behind them.

Lloyd and Sheena spun around to see Kratos standing there. "Gah! Dad! Where did you come from?" asked Lloyd. "You sure scared us!"

Kratos said nothing. Sheena decided to break the silence. "W-we found out from Shadow that there are no exspheres left here."

Kratos nodded. "I know."

Lloyd tilted his head. "Eh? How did you know?"

"Yuan told me," Kratos said matter-of-factly.

A bewildered look crossed Sheena's face. "What? How? He's on Derris-Kharlan now!"

Kratos brushed some hair away from his face. "I found a still-functioning tele-projector in Forcystus' control room. With it, I was able to get a direct link to Yuan in Welgaia. He informed me that, after our encounter in the Torrent Forest, he and the renegades had begun their own quest similar to ours. It appears that our mission was done before we even started it."

Lloyd could only blink. "Over? Already?" But we didn't even…"

Kratos held out his hand, palm facing outward. "It doesn't matter. Our work is done concerning this mission, but perhaps we could find something else to keep us together?"

Sheena nodded. "I agree!" She glanced over at Lloyd and turned red. "I-I think it's a great idea for… uh… us to stay together."

Lloyd closed his eyes and smiled at Sheena. "Then it's settled! We just have to find something else to do!"

He opened his eyes and looked at his father. "Thanks for the great idea, dad. I was hoping I'd get to stay together with Sheena!" As always, he smiled obliviously.

Sheena blushed as Kratos smirked and rolled his eyes. "Heh… well then, I'll go ahead and begin to set up camp. Sheena?"

Sheena perked up. "Y-yea?"

"You know what to do," answered Kratos.

Sheena nodded and closed her eyes. A small, red circle formed under her. As she made several motions with her hands, she exclaimed, "I summon thee! Come, Efreet!"

Something exploded right in front of her and from that explosion, Efreet could be seen. He folded his massive arms across his chest. "Yes pact-maker?

Lloyd could barely contain his excitement. "This is gonna be cool!" He jumped up and down like a two-year old. Sheena rolled her eyes and spoke with Efreet.

"Efreet! Embrace this ranch with your raging inferno!" she yelled.

Efreet nodded. "This place shall be no more."

Efreet floated over to one of the fortified walls of the ranch. After winding up a few times, he let loose a thunderous punch that shook the entire ranch. After a moment, Efreet disappeared as everything caught on fire.

Lloyd jumped up happily. "Yes! That was so cool!"

Sheena glanced over at Lloyd and grinned. "Just like a kid," she said to him.

The two shared a laugh and walked over to join Kratos for dinner.

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Grr and snarl against the shortness! Seriously though, I've decided to stray away from the usual path of the exsphere quest. Gonna go with something a bit different. Wanna know what it is? Read next time and find out! Thanks in advance for any reviews you guys send!


	6. Darkness

A/N: Now that we've strayed away from the exsphere, where are we going now? Well, I had to think about it for a while, but I finally came up with something. Once you finish reading this, please don't jump to conclusions. There will be much more to this than meets the eye. I promise. Furthermore, I promise that it will be original.

Once again, thank you for any and all reviews. They are what fuels my artistic fire.

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Chapter 6: Darkness

After nearly a month and half of traveling across the world and helping in minor ways with the restoration of the world, Lloyd, Sheena, and Kratos finally found what they thought would be a worthwhile quest: the search for the nine Devil Arms.

They had met a dark but handsome man in Flanoir named Abyssion. He claimed that he was a demon hunter who was in search of said Devil Arms. He search ended abruptly, however, when the first weapon he collected had weakened his soul and he felt that he could not continue on. Ever since then, he had spent his days in the snow-bound city, hoping someone who could help him would come along. Someone did.

The trio had agreed to help Abyssion. It was a rather noble cause, after-all. Not only could they save Abyssion's sickened soul, but they could also forever seal away nine potentially dangerous weapons. It seemed like a win-win.

Their search took them far and wide to all corners of the new world. Over the space of roughly two weeks, they had accumulated all but one of the Devil Arms: the kendama, Disaster. They had given up all hope on ever finding until they ran into a man in Altamira who appeared to have a kendama that fit the description that Abyssion had given them.

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"You want **_how_** much?" asked an awe-struck Lloyd.

The shrewd man smiled. "Fifty-thousand gald. I need to cover my losses from the casino."

Lloyd folded his arms, disgusted with the man. "I can't believe you. We're trying to seal away some very dangerous weapons and save someone's soul, and yet you have the nerve to take our gald just so we can continue on?"

The man nodded. "Yes," he said, matter-of-factly. "The world's a cold, cruel place, kid."

A disgusted Kratos looked out at the ocean as he heard the foolish exchange going on. They had finally found the last weapon and this fool had the gall to act the way that he was.

Sheena leaned over and whispered into Lloyd's ear, "I could just steal it from him if you want me to."

Lloyd scratched his hair-less chin and thought for a moment. "Hmm… sure would be easier that way," he thought to himself. "Cheaper too. Nonetheless…"

He shook his head and whispered back, "Nah. We have to be the good guys here."

Sheena shrugged. "Hey, at least I tried," she whispered back as she pulled away and joined Kratos.

Heaving a great sigh, Lloyd finally gave in. "Fine. Fifty thousand gald it is, then."

The man smiled gleefully as he forked over Disaster and quickly counted the five-hundred hundred-gald coins that Lloyd handed over.

Lloyd tossed Disaster over to Sheena and turned back to the greedy man. "You know, you really should be ashamed."

The man didn't even look up. "I'm not."

"Ah," Lloyd replied.

The man, satisfied with the transaction, tipped his hat, and walked off. Kratos took note of where he was walking.

"Back to the casino," he said, with a sigh. "Some people just never learn."

Sheena just shrugged. "In any case, at least we have the last Devil Arm now. Now we can seal these things away for good and save Abyssion's soul."

Lloyd grumbled as he felt his now-empty pockets. It was a ridiculous price to pay, even if Disaster was a one-of-a-kind item. He had planned on buying something for Sheena with the money he had been saving but, now, that was impossible.

"Right… so now what do we do?" Lloyd asked.

Kratos folded his arms and let the cool night breeze blow through his hair. "If I'm not mistaken, we are supposed to meet him in the lowest floor of the Temple of Darkness."

Lloyd looked at Kratos, a bit puzzled. "Uh… shouldn't we go get him then?"

Kratos shook his head. "That won't be necessary. Due to the curse he has suffered, I'm sure he's able to detect the presence of the weapons, since he was able to find the Nebilim blades with no help what-so-ever. If this is the curse, then he's probably already figured out that we have gathered all nine Devil Arms."

Lloyd nodded but he wasn't convinced. "Alright then. Should we get going then?"

Kratos shook his head again. "No need to rush. It's already late. I'm sure Abyssion won't mind waiting one more night."

Lloyd nodded once more and yawned. "Good. I was getting' tired anyway."

Sheena raised her slender arms to the sky and yawned as well. Just the sound of Lloyd's yawn was enough to make her tired. "Me too. Shall we turn in for tonight?"

Kratos said nothing as he passed by them.

The two young adventurers watched him as walked away. Lloyd shrugged. "I guess that's a yes."

Sheena smiled and turned to Lloyd. "Hey Lloyd? You know what?"

Lloyd tilted his head and look at her. "What's that?"

Sheena began to run away. "I bet I can beat you back to the inn!" She laughed warm-heartedly.

Lloyd smirked. "Hey! You cheated!" He took off after her.

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The sun shone brightly in the sky as the Rheiards made their descent. Once they touched-down on the soft grass in front of the Temple of Darkness, the three heroes immediately dismounted and put the Rheiards back in their wing packs. As they stared into the lightless temple, shivers ran down their spines. It didn't matter how many times they had come here before. They could never get used to the idea of no light what-so-ever.

Sheena seemed to shiver more than Lloyd. "Brr! Not only is it creepy in there, but for some reason, I feel… very cold."

Lloyd felt the same way but didn't let it show. He wrapped his right arm around Sheena and held her somewhat close to him. "Are you cold Sheena? Heh… I'll keep you warm."

Sheena looked at him with a smile. "Again? Thank you."

Kratos' wondrous blue wings sprang to life from his back. "Let's go. Don't dawdle." He walked into the temple without fear, his wings dimly lighting the way as he did so.

A light-bulb shone over Lloyd's head. "Good idea, dad." Lloyd closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment. Shortly after he started, his own pair of red wings sprang to life.

"C'mon Sheena," he started. "Let's get this over with. This place creeps me out."

Sheena nodded. "Agreed." She continued to cling to Lloyd as the two walked inside the temple, trailing just behind Kratos.

(A/N: Yes, I realize that, in the game, Lloyd's wings were large and prismatic. My theory is that they looked this way because of the presence of the Eternal Sword. Without its presence, I don't see why they can't be red and shaped like Kratos'.)

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They reached the bottom floor of the temple, feeling even colder then they had before. Sure enough, Abyssion was waiting for them, leaning against one of the pillars that supported Shadow's summoning circle. His eyes turned to the red and blue lights that approached him.

"Angels?" he said aloud. "Huh… don't see those everyday."

"Indeed," Kratos said blandly. "As you more than likely already know, we have finally brought all nine Devil Arms together."

Abyssion nodded with a friendly smile. "You're right about me knowing. The curse placed upon my family has made me sensitive to such things."

The shivering Sheena looked up. "So Kratos was right," she thought to herself.

Kratos turned to his son and his want-to-be lover. "Lloyd. Sheena. Please bring the Devil Arms here. Let us finish this once and for all."

They nodded and unslung the bags on their backs, bringing out all the weapons one by one. As they did so, Kratos picked them up and laid them before Abyssion.

A dark smile crossed Abyssion's lips once all nine Devil Arms were laid before him. "Excellent! Let's begin!"

After he had finished his sentence, a black book appeared before him and opened up to a specific page.

Lloyd's eyes widened a bit. "Whoa. How did he do that?"

Abyssion began reading archaic words from the book as a small, dark aura began to grow around him."

Kratos' eyes widened as well. "That book… it's…"

"The Necronomicron," Abyssion interrupted him, his voice changing dramatically to that of a demon. "You fools have just sealed your own doom. Now that Devil Arms have been reassembled, Nebilim can now be resurrected! Soon, the entire world will be filled with eternal darkness! A utopia for all of the denizens of the underworld!"

Kratos took a few steps back, obviously afraid. "Nebilim?! Oh no… what have we done?"

Lloyd wasn't quite sure what was going on. "Dad? What is this? What's going on?"

Before Kratos could answer, a bright red light flashed throughout the temple. When the light died down, the dark man known as Abyssion had been replaced by a demonic looking man with tall, red hair and a black suit that almost looked as if it was part of his skin. All nine of the Devil Arms were attached to him at different points.

Lloyd, reckless as always, drew his swords and proudly proclaimed, "Hah. So you're actually a demon. Big deal. You picked the wrong party to mess with."

He began to walk forward, fully intent on taking out Abyssion, when Sheena grabbed his shoulder.

"No Lloyd! You can't! I can hear Origin talking to me! We're no match for him!" she exclaimed.

Lloyd stopped dead in his tracks. "That's stupid. He can't be any stronger than Mithos… can he?"

Sheena looked at him gravely. He took this as a yes.

Kratos didn't even bother drawing his weapon, instead choosing to go for full defense by raising his shield. "Lloyd! We have to get out of here! We might stand a chance with everyone else's helps! With what we have now, we can't win!"

Abyssion flashed a very evil smile at Kratos. "And how do you propose to get out of here… alive? It's a long climb to the top and I'm much faster. Accept your fate your death will be painless. It's the least I can do to thank you for releasing me." Once he finished, what had to be the most maniacal laugh in the history of mankind could be heard echoing throughout the lonely halls of the Temple of Darkness.

Sheena drew a single card from her recently refilled deck of Guardians. "I hope this works, grandpa," she whispered to herself.

She ran at Abyssion her eyes closed as she did so. "I call upon thee! Guardian of Light!"

Abyssion's eyes widened a bit. "A Guardian user? Oh no you don't!"

The actions of the two were nearly simultaneous. Just as Sheena threw down her Guardian, Abyssion had thrown one of the Evil Eye chakram. The effects of both were just as simultaneous. The Guardian had sealed Abyssion in a prison of light just as the Evil Eye connected with her side, taking a fair sized piece out of it.

"Augh!" they both screamed at once.

Sheena fell to the ground, clutching her very bloody side as Abyssion pounded on the walls of his prison. Lloyd ran over to her and rested her head on his arm. "Sheena! Sheena!" he cried.

"Damn woman!" cried Abyssion. "It's pointless! Don't you see? This thing won't last more than a day, and once I'm out of here…" He laughed again.

Kratos ran over and put his hand on Sheena's shoulder. "Lloyd, we have to go! Carry Sheena and let us make haste!"

No protest came from Lloyd. He picked up the non-unconscious Sheena and cradled her in his arms as he chased after Kratos.

Abyssion watched the heroes disappear into the darkness. "So… that was her plan, eh? Heh… well, I have a little surprise for them as well!"

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Kratos and Lloyd made their way up the final ramp. Kratos pointed to the exit.

"Lloyd! We're almost there!" Kratos started. "Let's-"

Kratos was cut off by the sound of the heavy doors of the temple closing right in front of them. Lloyd stopped dead in his tracks.

Kratos began to pound furiously on the doors. "No! No!"

Abyssion's maniacal laugh could be heard throughout the entire temple. "Fools! Did you think you could escape that easily? Ha! The doors of this temple shall remain locked until I say so or…" He laughed again. "…or if you kill me! Gahaha!!!"

As the hopes of escape of survival died within Lloyd and Kratos, so did the dim lights that once had helped bring some sort of luminance to the main hall of the great temple.

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Abyssion with a twist! Not only is Sheena possibly dying, but now their only hope of escape has been cut off. Tomorrow, when the Guardian's prison of light vanishes, will Lloyd, Kratos, and the wounded Sheena be enough to stop Abyssion? For fear of tomorrow possibly being their last day alive, will Lloyd and Sheena finally confess how they feel? So many questions to answer! Tune in next time to answer a few! Thanks in advance for any and all reviews!


	7. Through the Night

A/N: Trapped in the Temple of Darkness with no light… how scary does that have to be? Anyway…

The situation isn't good. If you've played the game and fought Abyssion, you know what I mean. Fighting him with 4 people was hard enough, but with only 3 people, one of which is wounded, and none of which are Raine… eep. Let's hope they can pull this off.

After I post this chapter, I will begin work on Chapter 2 of "A Fun, Easy Life" so… look forward to it! Without further ado here is today's installment of "Unconditional Love."

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Chapter 7: Through the Night

With a small flash of light, Kratos brought his blue wings into existence, bringing a small amount of light to the otherwise pitch-dark temple. With this new light, he began to examine Sheena's wound as a worried Lloyd crouched nearby.

He placed his hand on her side and whispered a few words as a soft, white light enveloped his hand and her wound. It began to slowly heal up. He looked up at Lloyd.

"She took a bad hit back there," he explained. "She'll make it, but she's lost a lot of blood. There's no way that she'll be able to fight tomorrow unless she gets more blood in her. She'll simply be too weak."

Lloyd's lips began to quiver. Although what happened to Sheena could in no way be Lloyd's fault, he still felt guilty, feeling as though he should have been able to do something to help her.

He looked up at his father. "Is there anything we can do? If we have to leave her behind, she won't have anyway to defend herself if we fail or if something else comes her way."

Kratos brought his free hand to his chin and began rubbing it. "Well… we could try a blood transfusion."

Lloyd scratched his head. "A blood what?"

Kratos brought his hand back down. Sheena's wound was almost completely healed now. "A blood transfusion. Basically, we transfer blood from one person to another. It's a fairly simple process that I can perform."

Lloyd looked down at the unconscious Sheena. He stroked her cold cheek with his hand. "Let's do it then. I'll give her some of my blood. I probably won't have to give too much right? I'm going to fight tomorrow. Just…" He looked back down at Sheena. That unknown, wonderful feeling came back to him. "If nothing else, give her enough so that I can talk to her."

Kratos nodded to him. "I should be able transfer enough of your blood without weakening you to a point beyond a night of rest can fix. Do you still want to?"

Lloyd nodded slowly. "Yeah."

Kratos began rummaging trough his pack, searching for the tools necessary to perform the transfusion with. "Then lie down next to her and try to relax. This will greatly weaken you until you get some sleep. If not sooner, try to get some sleep once I'm done performing the transfusion. Understood?"

Lloyd nodded again. "Yeah. Thanks dad."

Kratos finally found the tools he needed. "Don't mention it, I know how you feel. When you wake up, we need to talk."

Lloyd sat up for a moment and looked at Kratos. "Huh? What about?"

Kratos shook his head. "Don't worry about it now. Just relax. Let's begin."

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Hours Later…

Lloyd awakened with a mumble and rubbed his eyes. He was still feeling very tired, but they still had nearly 16 hours before the Guardian's light barrier wore off. He looked around. Still pitch-black. The only thing that could be seen was Kratos' blue wings as he walked around the main hall of the temple, possibly on patrol. He looked down at Sheena, barely able to see her. He brought his own red wings into existence to get a better look at her.

The wound was now nothing more than a mere scar. The color that had drained from her face had now returned, restoring her natural beauty. He picked up her left hand and held it tightly in both of his own. Once he did, she began to stir, much to his surprise.

She looked up at the red angel, trying to focus her blurry vision. "Lloyd…" she whispered.

Lloyd smiled when he saw her wake up. "Shh, it's okay Sheena. We're safe for now. Just try to get some rest."

Sheena was obviously still very weak, even more so than Lloyd. Despite this, she managed a weak smile. "Lloyd…" she whispered again.

Kratos waved to Lloyd from across the great hall. He motioned for him to come over. Lloyd nodded to him and held up one finger as if to say, One second."

"Sheena, Kratos needs me for a second. Here…" He pulled a blanket out of his pack and covered her with it. "There. It's very cold in here and you're still weak. Just try to stay warm. I'll be back in a moment."

Sheena could only manage the same word before as she struggled to wake up and focus her thoughts. "Lloyd…"

Lloyd got up and jogged over to Kratos. Once there, Kratos began to speak to him. "Lloyd, we need to talk."

Lloyd nodded. "Sure dad, what's up?"

Kratos began to pace a bit. "Tell me Lloyd. Just how do you feel about Sheena?"

Lloyd scratched his head. "Huh? What kind of question is that?"

Kratos didn't bother to turn to his son. "Answer the question, please."

Lloyd blinked a few times. Why would he ask a question like that? Wasn't it obvious that Sheena meant a lot to him? "Well uh… she's the best friend I've ever had. Even… even more so than Colette or Genis."

Kratos stopped to look at his son. "Is that all?" he asked as he crossed his arms.

Lloyd paused for a moment and thought. He then shook his head. "She's everything I could ask for in a person. She's smart, funny, beautiful and she's incredibly sweet to me."

Still not satisfied, Kratos asked again. "Is that all?"

No… no it wasn't. Lloyd now knew what Kratos was talking about when he asked a question with a seemingly obvious answer. Perhaps it wasn't so obvious now. He looked up at his angelic father.

"No," he started. "I… I don't know. I started getting this weird feeling when we were back in Flanoir. We decided to take a walk and when she started to get cold, I held her tightly so I could keep her warm. Once I did though, I started getting that weird, but good, feeling. It's strengthened ever since then. It felt much stronger when Sheena kissed my cheek in the Tower of Salvation." He rubbed his cheek after he said this. "I just don't know what it is dad. She's more important to me than anything."

Kratos rubbed his chin with a smile. "Is that so? Heh… perhaps you aren't as oblivious as I thought. You simply don't know what you're feeling. Perhaps you were never taught."

A slightly frustrated look crossed Lloyd's features. "Hey, who's oblivious?"

A bit more of a serious look came back to Kratos' face. He went back to his pacing. "Lloyd, would you die for her?"

Lloyd cocked an eyebrow after hearing the question. It struck him as both odd and obvious at the same time. "Of course I would. Like I said, she's more important to me than anything."

Kratos stopped and turned to his son, arms crossed as he did so. "And you don't know what it is that you're feeling, correct?"

Lloyd nodded. It was a simple enough question. "Yeah, that's right."

Kratos brought his hand to his chin and smiled. "It's love, Lloyd."

Lloyd scratched his head. "No way. I like her WAY more than my swords."

Kratos shook his head and waved his arms in front of Lloyd. "No no, Lloyd. Not that kind of love. The kind that I am referring to is… hmm…" Kratos did his best to come up with an example. "…the kind that brought myself and Anna together or Regal and the late Alicia."

Lloyd paused for a moment. He sat down on the cold, stone floor of the temple and just began to think. Lloyd didn't say anything for a full fifteen minutes. After a while, Kratos was beginning to wonder if Lloyd was making any progress in his train of thought.

"Lloyd?" he asked.

His son looked up. "I… I think I get it. The more that I think about it, the more nervous I get." He laughed nervously. "It makes me think about the way Genis first acted around Presea."

Kratos nodded. "Correct. Despite his very high level of intelligence, even Genis was dumbfounded by the newly discovered concept of "love". I felt the same way when I first met Anna, and I'm sure Regal, as noble and intelligent as he is, was no different. It's a very difficult thing to grasp Lloyd, I realize that. But…"

Kratos pointed over to the slightly stirring Sheena, barely visible thanks to the light generated by their wings. "I'm sure she feels the same way. She shows obvious signs of it. Like you, she probably feels nervous or perhaps even scared."

Lloyd tilted his head. "Scared? Scared of what?"

Kratos only need one word. "Rejection."

Lloyd blinked a few times and shook his head. "Rejection? I wouldn't reject her!"

Kratos stepped off to the side. "Then why don't you tell her that?"

It was hard to see in the dim light, but some of the color had faded from Lloyd's face. "But… but I… err…" He scratched his head, obviously embarrassed.

Kratos put his hand on his son's shoulder. He pointed back to Sheena. "Lloyd, there's no telling what awaits us tomorrow. We may not make it back alive. This may be your only chance, my son. If she is to die, I'm sure she doesn't want to be alone in the world when it happens."

Lloyd's eyes shot wide open. He almost couldn't believe what his own father just said. "Dad! Wh-"

Kratos waved his hand once. "Go to her Lloyd. We can argue later. She needs you."

Lloyd knew he was right. The wording was harsh, but the message was right-on. He nodded to his angelic father. "Alright dad."

Kratos began to walk away. "I'll worry about patrol duty. Just concentrate your attention on her. Good luck Lloyd." He walked away.

Lloyd watched the dimly lighted Kratos walk away as he began his rounds. "Thanks dad…" he whispered as he turned and walked back to Sheena.

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Sheena awakened from a very brief nap to see Lloyd standing above her. "Hmm?" she said, sleepily. "Oh, hello Lloyd. What did Kratos want?"

He sat down next to her and looked at the ground. "Oh, uh… nothing important."

She nodded. "I see." She looked all around her. "Hard to believe what we've gotten ourselves into, isn't it?"

Lloyd didn't look up. "Yeah."

Sheena felt the side that had been so badly wounded before, now nothing more than a scar. "How did you and Kratos manage to save me?"

Lloyd didn't change his posture but looked over at Sheena. "It was pretty easy, actually. My dad mended the wound with his healing magic but when he realized that you wouldn't have enough blood to function, he performed a… what's it called… blood transfusion between us." He pointed to an area on his arm now covered by a cloth bandage.

She smiled weakly. "You gave me some of your blood? That's so sweet of you Lloyd. Thank you."

Lloyd scratched his head, a bit embarrassed. "Ah, haha, it was nothing. Really."

Sheena struggled to scoot closer to him. "To me it is. Thank you again."

Lloyd's face began to grow red as Sheena struggled to sit up and lean against him. She closed her eyes and rubbed her head back on forth on his shoulders very slowly as if she was trying to find a comfortable position in a pillow.

"It's so cold in here. Will you please hold me Lloyd?" she asked sleepily.

Lloyd gave no response and instead wrapped his right arm around Sheena as she moved closer to him, doing her best to stay warm. He looked on as he watched his father walk around the perimeter of the main hall on his patrol duty. "Dad… can I really do this?" he thought to himself.

"Thank you Lloyd," she started. "You're a real gentleman."

Lloyd didn't say anything again. He was too busy wondering what he could say to her without sounding completely stupid. He looked down at her and brushed a few stray strands of hair away from her forehead. She wasn't asleep, but her eyes were closed. It was then that Lloyd realized just how beautiful his best friend was. Best friend? No… that was an understatement for how he felt now. He kept asking for help from within himself in order to take care of this. Nothing came though and he was left to fend for himself.

He began to stroke her exposed cheek lightly, taking in the soft texture of her skin as he did so.

"Hehe… that kinda tickles," she said groggily.

He smiled when he heard her say this. It completely warmed his heart when he saw her smile from the ticklish feeling. To him, it was the most amazing thing he'd ever seen. The warmth and kindness that her smile exuded was enough to melt even the coldest hearts.

She opened her eyes partway and smiled up at him. "Something wrong Lloyd? You can tell me."

There was that smile again, this one even more heartfelt than the last. Lloyd felt like such a fool. If he and Sheena had always been feeling the same way about each other as Kratos had suggested, then he truly hated himself for not realizing this great feeling earlier. It couldn't be helped though. It was in the past now. The only regret he had now is that he would come to express his true feelings within the cold, dark confines of the Temple of Darkness with their possible death coming just a little over half a day from now. There was no time for regrets though. If he was going to act, it had to be now.

"Actually Sheena… yeah, something's kinda wrong, but… well… not really," he said after a great deal of struggle.

She giggled lightly. "Silly. Wrong or not, you can tell me. We're… best friends, right?"

Best friends… that's what he had thought all along. No more of that, however. It was time to spill the beans and tell her just what he was thinking.

He took a deep breath and began to speak. "Sheena… I've got to tell you something. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about how much you mean to me…"

Sheena displayed the same smile as before. "Thank you Lloyd. You're far too nice to me."

Lloyd shook his head. "No… no I haven't. I feel terrible for being such a damn fool."

This caught Sheena's attention and she sat completely up despite her relative weakness. "A fool? Why?"

Lloyd looked at the ground and away from her. "I haven't come to fully appreciate you. For a while now, I have considered you to be my best friend ever and nothing more. But… there was something more. Something greater than what I thought. Something I never knew how to properly express. Because of that, I missed out on so much more wonderful times with you."

Sheena was beginning to become confused with what Lloyd was saying. "What do you mean Lloyd? I don't un-"

He abruptly cut her off. He reached for both of her hands with both of his own and held them as gently as possible. "Sheena, what I'm trying to say is that I… err. I…"

A cold sweat formed on Lloyd's brow. He was so close. Only a little farther and this would be done and over with. He sat there motionless and wordless with Sheena for nearly two minutes before she spoke.

"Lloyd? Are you ok?" she asked.

A million thoughts rushed through Lloyd's mind as shook his head fairly roughly. He finally caught control of himself and leaned forward to look in Sheena's beautiful eyes, her kind gaze penetrating into the bottom depths of his soul. He took one last breath before he spoke again.

"Sheena, I… lo-love… you," he said with excruciating difficulty.

Sheena's eyes opened as widely as possible and she only stared at Lloyd. He moved to hold her close to him.

"I'm so sorry Sheena. I wish I would've known all of this sooner. Please forgive me," he said.

Sheena pulled back a little bit and looked back into his brown eyes again. "Lloyd… do you really mean it?"

Lloyd nodded. "Yes, I do. I've never felt this strongly about someone. I was sure it was… love. I… want to always be with you Sheena."

Sheena couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was so happy that she could cry. She didn't, however, and instead threw her arms around Lloyd's neck. "Lloyd Irving, I… love you too!"

That did it. As soon as she said that, tears of joy began to flow from Sheena's tired eyes as both laughed and cried at the same time.

Lloyd did the exact same thing, amazed at what he had just heard. "Y-you mean it too Sheena? Not just friends? Right?"

She pulled back a bit and smiled very warmly as she wiped a few tears away. "Yes Lloyd! Y-you're the most wonderful thing that's ever happened to me! I always want to be with you!"

They laughed together and held each other close to them. After they shared a few more heart-felt tears, they pulled away from each other and stared into each other's eyes. It was as if they were looking into the other person's very soul. They remained like this for a moment, growing gradually closer to each other as they did so. Finally, what Sheena had always hoped for happened: they shared their first kiss as lovers.

It wasn't a quick kiss by any means. They remained locked to each other for nearly thirty seconds before they slowly pulled away from each other. They gazed at each other lovingly for a brief moment before they put their hands on the other's cheeks and kissed once more. The feelings of bliss were mutual as they thought about just how wonderful they felt at the moment. For a short time, Abyssion was completely forgotten as they became lost in their own world.

They pulled apart once more to catch their breath. They shared a brief laugh together as the tears continued to flow. They shared one last quick kiss before Sheena threw her arms around Lloyd and cuddled-up next to him.

"Lloyd… please don't ever let me go," she said as she closed her eyes, still feeling the effects of her weakness.

Lloyd looked down at his beautiful lover as he ran his hands through her hair. "Never," he whispered to her. He wrapped his arms around her and they lay down next to each. Shortly after, they fell asleep in each other's arms, their faces still wet from the tears they shed earlier.

Kratos watched from a distance and smiled once the two lovers found each other. Once he saw them fall asleep, he witnessed an amazing sight. A brilliant yet gentle light shined above the sleeping couple. From this light emerged a translucent being. It was Velius, the summon spirit of the heart.

Filled with wonder, Kratos said nothing as he observed the fox-like creature as it watched Lloyd and Sheena. After a moment, it turned to Kratos, nodded, and faded to nothingness once more. As it did so, a whisper could be heard: "Your vow is accepted, Sheena of Mizuho and Lloyd of Iselia. The pact is now sealed."

"Could it be?" Kratos asked himself. "Velius must approve of this. I've never seen anything like it before. I wonder…"

Kratos pondered it for a moment later and shook his head and resumed his patrol duty. He looked back once more at the sleeping couple.

"Heh… well done Lloyd." He looked upward. "Anna… we may get a daughter after-all. I shall do everything in my power to protect them. I promise," he said as he began his route.

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w00t! My longest chapter yet (3,000 words!). Ahem…

They're in love! Ain't that grand?! Sure, they confessed in the temple of darkness of all places, but hey… at least it happened!

Their celebration will be short-lived however, for tomorrow will bring the fight against the being called Abyssion. Will their love survive tomorrow's onslaught or will it falter before they ever realize just HOW deeply they love each other? Find out next time! Gimme reviews, please!


	8. A Ray of Hope

A/N: It's the heroes of Symphonia vs. Abyssion pre-game show! Enjoy!

A number of people seem to believe that Kratos is gonna die. Hmm…  
guess we'll see, eh?

Thanks again for all the kind reviews and I apologize for the lengthy delay in-between chapters. I'm beginning to work on the first chapters of two of my soon-to-be stories as well as my other two works in progress, "Under the Sky So Blue" and "A Fun, Easy Life", so work on this story is somewhat delayed. Rest assured though that my main efforts are concentrated on this story.

Work isn't helping either Xx Anyway, enjoy the new chapter!

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Chapter 8: A Ray of Hope

"Lloyd? It's time to wake up," said Kratos softly.

Lloyd opened eyes and saw that Sheena was still in his embrace, sound asleep. He kissed her on the tip of her nose, being as careful as possible to not wake her up. That being said, he took great care in slowly letting her go and pulling himself away. Despite the successful blood transfusion, he thought that she would still be too weak to fight and thought that it would be best if she just stayed behind. Once free from her, he stood up and looked down at her.

"Dad, please be honest with me," he half-asked his father.

Without looking at his son, Kratos asked in reply, "What is it son?"

Lloyd said nothing for a moment as he gazed at his sleeping beauty. He then looked up at his father and asked, "Do you think there's any chance that we can win?" He looked back down at Sheena. "Will I be able to see her again?" he asked in an almost inaudible tone.

The angel remained silent. How could he answer a question like that? In his heart of hearts, he didn't think victory was possible. Sheena fell very quickly against Abyssion's assault and felt that Lloyd and himself would last much longer, even with his own repertoire of magic. However, he couldn't just tell his son that. It just wasn't fair. His son had only got to spend one night with the woman he was finally able to confess his love to and more-than-likely wouldn't see her again… except perhaps in the afterlife.

"Anna," he said to himself. "What should I do?"

He looked down at his son and saw a single teardrop fall to the shadowy floor as Lloyd was staring at Sheena. It was just too heart-breaking. For a moment, Kratos had regretted pulling Lloyd aside last night and explaining to him the meaning of love. If he hadn't, perhaps Lloyd wouldn't be as heart-broken as he was now.

"No Kratos… you did the right thing," said a voice that sounded like Anna's in the back of his mind. "Give him something to fight for. Everyone knows that the heart is potentially the most powerful weapon in the world Give him… a ray of hope."

"A ray of hope…" The voice was right. Even if he shouldn't have told him in the first place, Kratos had to give Lloyd a sense of hope so that he could fight at full strength if not more. However, he had to be careful not too give him too much confidence. Kratos took a deep breath of the cold, stale air of the dark temple.

"I'm not going to lie to you Lloyd," he started with a bit of hesitation, "our chances aren't great." He watched as a saddening look came across Lloyd's face. Kratos held up a finger. "However, that's merely from one point of view, perhaps from that of an outsider's. We, on the other hand, know better, Lloyd. We have something to fight for, you more so than myself. We both seek to stop Abyssion from terrorizing the world outside these doors, but you…" He pointed to the still sleeping Sheena. "You have to fight for her. She is your ray of hope and you are her's. You have to protect her, and in order to do so, you have to give everything you've got to defeat Abyssion. She's counting on you Lloyd, and as the man she has entrusted her love to, it is your duty to do everything you can to defeat Abyssion. Do you understand, Lloyd?"

Lloyd was silent for a moment as he took everything in. He looked over at Sheena. "Sheena…" he said to himself. "I… don't know how I'll do it… but…" He turned back to Kratos, a defiant look shining in his eyes as he did so. "I'm going to fight! Not just for the world, but for… Sheena! I won't let anything hurt her! Let me at 'em!" He started charging towards the stairs leading downward before Kratos grabbed his shirt.

"Easy, son. Let's both go get him," he said in a comforting tone.

Lloyd eased up a bit and looked back at his father. "All right dad. Let's do it!"

They nodded to each other and proceeded to walk to the staircase leading down. Before they could take their first step downward, a load "Ahem!" and boot stomp could be heard. The two angels turned around slowly to see a smiling Sheena with her arms folded across her chest. "What's the matter?" she asked. "You boys act like you've seen a ghost."

They took a step back. "Sheena?!" exclaimed Lloyd. "Y-you're awake!"

She slowly walked in their direction. "Of course I'm awake, silly! You guys wanna tell me why you were gonna leave me behind?" Once she reached them, she put her hands on her hips, leaned forward, and glared at them.

Kratos shook his head. "I apologize Sheena. I was under the impression that you'd be too weak from your wound from yesterday to join us. That being said, I must ask you something: how is it that you're able to walk and protest with so much energy? What of your wound? Last night, you could barely talk or move. Yet, here you are now moving about as if nothing happened."

Sheena removed the makeshift bandage that covered the spot where her wound was supposed to be, exposing the bare flesh underneath. Much to Lloyd and Kratos' surprise, the wound was no longer there. In fact, there wasn't even so much as a scar or even a red mark. It looked as if it had never been struck. "I'm not so sure myself. I woke up a few minutes before Lloyd did and I-"

Lloyd cut her off, his face reddening as he did so. "Wah?! You were awake the whole time Kratos and I were speaking?"

Sheena shot a sly smile at him. "'Course I was. Thanks for asking... thanks for wanting to protect me, hero."

Lloyd scratched his head and closed his eyes. "Ah heh heh…"

She continued. "Anyway, I woke up and felt surprisingly refreshed considering what I had been through. I felt for the wound and noticed that it wasn't there. I'm not sure what happened, but it doesn't matter. I'm just glad I'll be able to see this through to the end with both of you."

Lloyd lost the "aw shucks" look on his face and brought his hand up to his chin as he was thinking. "That's pretty weird. I was sure it was gonna leave a scar. I wonder what happened."

Kratos had remained silent throughout the course of the conversation as he was taking everything in. He remembered what he had seen last night as the young lovers slept the last night and he felt that he had an idea of what was going on.

He turned to his son. "Lloyd, roll up your right sleeve. I want to see something."

He turned to his father, a bit perplexed. "Huh? Why?"

Kratos said nothing and instead stared at Lloyd. His son shrugged and he rolled up his sleeve. Kratos removed the bandage that was covering the small scar that was created via the blood transfusion process. Just as he had thought, the scar was no longer there.

"Hmm… just as I thought," he said thoughtfully.

Now Sheena was confused. "Thought what?"

He turned to her. "Lloyd had a tiny scar on his arm created by the blood transfusion process I performed between the two of you last night. It is no longer there."

Lloyd looked down at his arm. Sure enough, the scar was missing. Sure, it was small in the first place, but it was still a scar. "Whoa, wait a sec; I know there was one there last night. Scars don't just disappear… do they?"

Kratos thought for a moment. He grinned. "Heh. So that's it."

Lloyd was becoming quite agitated. "Ugh! Why do you always have to be so mysterious? Do you know what happened to us?"

Kratos turned around and began to walk downstairs. "It's not important. Come along, don't dawdle. We have an archfiend to take down."

The summoner and swordsman turned to each other. They examined their wounds once more and shook their heads.

"I don't get it," said Sheena.

Lloyd nodded in agreement. "What makes it worse is that Kratos knows what's going on and won't tell us."

She sighed and smiled at Lloyd. "That Kratos… some things never change."

He nodded again. "Yeah. If he wasn't like that, I would think that someone kidnapped the real Kratos and replaced him with an imposter. They both laughed at Lloyd's last comment. It was short-lived however, for, from the bottom of the first flight of stairs, Kratos could be heard yelling, "Come along! Let's not keep Abyssion waiting!"

The laughter slowly died after they heard this. They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment.

"Lloyd... let's do this!" said Sheena proudly.

"Yeah! Let's show him who's the boss!" said Lloyd in response.

They then held hands as they walked down the staircase that Kratos had just descended down. As they held hands, the entire temple began to slowly light up. They didn't notice this until they were half-way down on account of the light already produced by Kratos' wings. Once they stopped and witnessed the brightening of the room. Once it was all said and done, the temple had brightened to the level of early morning twilight. While not exceptionally bright, the light was certainly an improvement over the darkness that had preceded it.

"Another mystery! What the heck is going on here?" Lloyd asked as he and Sheena looked around.

Kratos took note that the light didn't come about until they had begun to hold hands. There was no doubt about it now. They would not be alone in fighting Abyssion. "Heh…not bad," said Kratos quietly.

Sheena looked back down at Kratos. "Huh? Did you say something Kratos?"

He shook his head. "Let's hurry on." He did so.

The two lovers blinked twice, shrugged, and walked after him, hands still held as they did so.

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After a long descent, the three heroes finally reached the bottom floor where an imprisoned and highly agitated Abyssion awaited them. An evil smirk crossed his features. "Heh. Hey! Who turned on the lights?"

Despite having made the trip downward with so much confidence, Sheena was beginning to feel great amounts of fear within her. She took a few steps back as she held the spot where Abyssion had injured her before.

Lloyd turned to her. "Sheena… it's not too late. If you're scared, you can go back."

Sheena first looked at Lloyd. Then, she turned to the demonic Abyssion. The guardian's prison wouldn't last much longer, a few minutes, tops. This was her last chance to do anything before he broke free. Her brain was telling her to run away. Her heart was telling her otherwise. It told her to stay with Lloyd until the end, even if it meant her own death. She turned back to Lloyd.

"I… I want to be with you Lloyd," she started, "no matter what. I love you Lloyd. I will fight with you!"

He gave her a nervous but otherwise warm smile as he embraced her. "I love you too Sheena. I'll do whatever it takes to defend you. Just stay close to me, ok?"

She nodded to him, sharing with him the same warm smile that he wore. "Thank you Lloyd."

Abyssion could be heard chuckling. "Bleh! Are you trying to make me sick?" Almost on cue, the prison around Abyssion slowly began to fade into nothingness. He smirked. "Heh. Good timing." As he awaited the full disappearance of the prison, he drew Soul Eater and crouched into a sprinter's stance, ready to pounce on whoever he decided his first victim would be.

Kratos brought his sword-arm to the hilt of his blade, ready to draw it when the time was right. "Lloyd! Sheena! This is it! We have to destroy him, no matter what!"

Lloyd drew the Valkyrie sabers and Sheena drew Acalantha, a card with a picture of Luna on the front. The two assumed their battle stances, prepared to face the greatest enemy they had ever known. Not even Mithos or the incarnations of their sins from Welgaia would stand a chance against Abyssion. Despite the chances of victory being slim, they were fully prepared to fight with every last ounce of strength.

The time finally came. The prison completely faded, leaving Abyssion uninhibited and free to roam about. The smirk that was on his face vanished as well as extreme hate crossed his features. "**_YOU DARE STAND AGAINST ME?! ME?!?! YOU'RE ALL GOING TO DIE IN THIS VERY TEMPLE!!!"_**

With a blood-curdling scream, he leaped at the staunch defenders, sword reared back as he did so.

Kratos put his shield in front of him, prepared for the worst. "This is it! Here he comes!"

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And so ends the pre-game show! Now it's time for the prize fight: Kratos, Lloyd, and Sheena vs. Abyssion. Is victory even possible? Only one way to find out, and that's by reading my next installment of "Unconditional Love"! Thanks again for any reviews. As always, they are greatly appreciated. Next chapter coming soon!


	9. Abyssion

A/N: I'm glad that everyone is enjoying the story thus far. The positive reviews warm my heart to no end.

As for the weapons, heh, to be quite honest, I couldn't quite remember what the names were. I now remember that Divine Judgment is Sheena's strongest (I THINK!) and the… uh… Kasunagi is Lloyd's best weapon. I went with my current two weapons for the reason of ignorance as well as these two reasons:  
1. The Valkyrie Sabers look neat-o in my opinion. Plus, if I remember correctly, the Valkyries are the strongest thrusting weapon.  
2. Acalantha is a Holy-elemental weapon. It seemed fitting to use it against Abyssion, despite him having no in-game weakness to Holy.  
If I got the names/facts wrong, someone let me know in their review.

As for a possible Kratos death? Hmm… next question, please? (Heh. If I told you now, there would be no real point in writing the rest of my story. Gotta read and find out, right?)

I think that covers any and all reviewer questions. As always, please keep reviewing and spreading the word about my story and I shall be eternally grateful to you.

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Chapter 9: Abyssion

Kratos drew his own blade and readied his shield, thus putting it in front of him. "Wait for it Kratos…" he told himself. Without looking at them, he began to bark orders at his fellow party members. "I will hold him off whilst you two prepare your strongest sets of attacks! I doubt that anything less than that will hurt him!"

"Got it dad!" exclaimed Lloyd as he side-stepped around to the right, prepared to strike at Abyssion once he began his attack on his father.

Sheena performed a variety of kata as she whispered to herself in an ancient tongue. Suddenly, she threw one of her cards down in Kratos' direction and yelled, "Light Seal!" A circle of magic surrounded the card and, shortly afterward, Kratos blade began to glow with a holy light. Once this was complete, she began a much longer chant with far more complicated kata as she began a summoning ritual.

Abyssion slammed into Kratos' shield like a freight train and the angel felt as if his arm would break from the impact. Luckily, bones remained intact and in one piece, but Abyssion was trying to force Kratos to the ground by using Soul Eater to pin Kratos' shield against himself. "Heh… is that all angel? Have you no strength?"

Kratos only smirked as delivered a quick swipe to Abyssion's side with his holy blade, causing the archfiend to stumble backward. "Please. I've only just begun! Now!"

Abyssion had regained his senses, but it was too late. "Hey you!" yelled Lloyd, immediately catching the demon's attention. Lloyd dashed towards him at top speed and, upon reaching his target, performed a three-hundred-sixty degree spin with his blades, and performed his powerful "Beast" attack, docking him to the ground about ten feet away from him. (A/N: Can't remember if the spinning "Beast" was "Hunting" or "Raging") "Go Sheena!"

"Right!" she yelled back. "I summon thee! Come, Origin!" She threw another card down in front of her, and from it came a great flash of light. Once the light dimmed, Origin could be seen in all his glory, wielding all four of his large blades. She threw her arm forward and pointed at Abyssion. "Get 'em Origin!"

Origin hovered in the direction of the fallen Abyssion. "With pleasure, pact-maker." He closed his eyes and levitated the demon to the same as his arms. Once satisfied with the altitude Abyssion was levitating at, Origin proceeded to tear into Abyssion with all of his blades. Once finished, Origin disappeared, leaving behind a motionless Abyssion.

Lloyd scratched his head. "Huh… well that was easy." He then noticed his father dashing at the body of Abyssion. "Dad! What ar-"

"There's no way he died from that! I can feel it!" yelled Kratos. "Don't let up, or else we will die!"

Kratos was prepared to strike the demon's body but was blown nearly twenty feet away as Abyssion stood up and performed his own version of the "Beast" attack. Kratos crashed into a wall and put a rather large crack in it. Needless to say, he wasn't feeling very good after this.

"Ha! Not bad, kiddies!" Abyssion said with an evil grin. "But I'm afraid that, if that's your best, you have no chance to defeat me." He dusted himself off. "Sorry, but nice try anyway." He dashed in Kratos' direction once more. For whatever reason, Kratos seemed to be the focus of the demon's attention.

Kratos stuck his sword into the ground in an attempt to prop himself back up after the last painful blow he took. "Damn, he's even more powerful than I thought." Once he was standing half-way up, he finally took notice of the rushing Abyssion. "Damnit!" Letting himself fall back down to his knees, he put his shield in front of himself once more.

It was then that Sheena stepped in front of him. "Stay away from him you savage!" She waited until Abyssion was in striking range and, once he was, she suspended Acalantha in the air in front of her and from it came a bright flash of light that knocked Abyssion to the ground. He howled in pain as his body steamed from the holy energy he had just been burned by. "Ha! How didja like my Demon Seal?"

"Sheena!" yelled Kratos. "Step aside!" She did so and Kratos began a low-toned chant.

Abyssion began to stand up once more. "Impudent little punks! Do you ha-gah!"

He was interrupted by a slash in the back from Lloyd. "I'll show you impudent! Err… if I knew what that meant!" Lloyd continued his assault.

Sheena looked down at Kratos. "Kratos!"

"I know! I know!" he yelled back. "Lloyd! Stand back!"

"Go for it dad!" Lloyd yelled in response as he dove out of the way.

Kratos stood all the way up and looked at Abyssion. "Burn! Eruption!"

Abyssion had no chance to respond, what, with the massive pillar of fire that engulfed him and all. "AHH!!!" he yelled as he crisped within the pillar. Once the pillar subsided, all that was left was the charred body of Abyssion. 

Lloyd dashed at the body. "Time to finish this!" He drove his Valkyrie sabers into the ground where Abyssion lay, but it was just that: ground. Abyssion had disappeared into a ball of shadowy light and floated to the other side of the room. His body reformed and it looked as if he had never been attacked at all.

"It seems that you are quite formidable after all," said the demon. "Looks like I won't be able to play with you as much as I wanted to." The Soul Eater vanished and was replaced by the Apocalypse grieves. "Oh well. I still have an entire world up above to torture and do whatever else I please."

Lloyd pulled his swords out of the ground and rushed Abyssion once more. "Not a chance, Abyssion! You're going down!"

Kratos and Sheena ran in the same direction. "No!" yelled Kratos. "Don't-"

Lloyd let the blades fall upon Abyssion but they never found their mark. Remarkably, Abyssion managed to catch both blades with his hands. He looked at Lloyd and smirked. "Wrong move, boy!" He delivered a swift and very powerful blow to Lloyd right side with the spiked grieves, sending Lloyd flying into a nearby wall.

The impact created a crack in the wall even bigger than the one Kratos produced. Lloyd, however, was in far worse shape. The pain was actually enough to make him withdraw his wings from existence, thus shrouding him in darkness. He gripped the small holes in his side and could already feel the pain of a quickly forming and very large bruise. "Ahh! Ahh!" he screamed as he rolled around.

Sheena brought her hands to her mouth in horror. "Lloyd!" she screamed.

Kratos stopped dead in his tracks and closed his eyes as he began to chant again. "Sacred powers, cast thy purifying light upon this corrupt soul! Rest in peace, sinner!" He extended an open palm in Abyssion's direction. "Judgment!"

A massive beam of light streaked towards Abyssion. It was in vain, however, as Abyssion easily side-stepped the beam, causing it to crash into the wall behind him instead. "Kratos! I'm disappointed in you! Is that really all you've got?"

Beads of cold sweat ran down Kratos' face. Could this really be happening? Never before had he faced such an opponent, not even during his journeys with Mithos. Did they have any real chance of victory?

"Shut up Abyssion," he said defiantly. "Let's do this."

The grieves disappeared as the Fafnir knife appeared in his right hand. Abyssion rushed at Kratos once again. "Indeed!"

The two clashed blades together when the two met head-on. Sheena could only watch from afar as the two fought. She wanted to help Kratos, but given their proximity to each other, she was afraid that any attack she initiated might affect Kratos as well. Instead, she ran over to Lloyd and kneeled down next to him. "Lloyd! Can you get up?"

Still gripping his side, he managed to sit up half-way and look at Sheena. "I think so, but, ah geez… man, this hurts so badly."

She put her hands on the small holes in his side and applied as much pressure as possible, causing him to wince in more pain than he was in in the first place. "Hold still, I have to stop the bleeding."

Meanwhile, Kratos looked like he was currently able to hold his own. They had been exchanging blows for well over a minute now and neither of the two had managed to land a single hit.

"Not bad angel!" said Abyssion. "But I'm afraid that I'm going to have to put an end to our little duel!"

With one swift movement, Kratos managed to knock the arm which held Fafnir aside and plunge his own sword into and through Abyssion's chest. The holy energies of the blade began to slowly burn small parts of Abyssion. Kratos smirked. "Ha! Like that?"

Abyssion shot a similar look and drove the blade further into himself, much to Kratos' surprise. "Sure did." He drew back Fafnir and struck it into Kratos' heart area with great force. Blood spurted from his moth as he let go of his blade and stumbled backwards.

"N-no..." whispered Kratos as he took a few more steps backward. He drew the knife out of his chest and threw it aside. Shortly afterward, he fell face-first onto the cold, dimly lit floor. His wings faded, much like the hopes of the party.

"Dad! Kratos!" yelled Lloyd and Sheena respectively.

Not knowing what to think, Lloyd pulled himself together and propped himself up. "You bastard!" His wings flared to life once more as he rushed the heartless demon.

"Lloyd! No!" screamed Sheena as she ran after him. It was too late though. Lloyd swung wildly at the demon but missed by a wide margin. Taking his openness as an opportunity to attack, he did so bringing the Nebilim blades into existence and slashing both of the young swordsman's sides.

"Gah!" screamed Lloyd in extreme pain. He fell to the ground into a small pool of his own blood.

Abyssion smiled evilly and kicked Lloyd aside. He looked to the young summoner. "And all that remained was the little bitch who thought it'd be cute to imprison me. Heh…" The Nebilim blades disappeared and he brought the Evil Eye into existence. A cold calmness came to his voice as he said, "Remember this? Does it still hurt? You were lucky last time. Sadly though, you've got me so pissed right now that I can't stand it. I just can't wait to tear into you."

Sheena backed up slowly as tears welled up in her eyes. She looked from side-to-side, looking at the fallen bodies of both Kratos and Lloyd. "A nightmare… this can't be real." She fell to her knees and began to sob uncontrollably. "Y-you monster!"

Abyssion stopped and smiled. "Is that all you can say? Heh. I was hoping for more from you. How disappointing. Oh well, time to take out the trash I suppose. I'm a busy archfiend, you know. I've got a world to enslave." He continued to walk towards her once more.

As she sobbed, a cutesy voice reverberated in her head. "Sheena…" 

Her eyes opened. "Corrine?!" she said. She looked around. "Where are you?"

The voice of Corrine continued. "Sheena, I'm in your heart. I've always been there, but that doesn't matter now. Listen to me. You have to fight Sheena! You have to win!"

She wiped a few tears from her now soaked face. "H-how? We've lost! If Lloyd or Kratos couldn't stop him, how can I?"

"Sheena, you CAN do it!" said Corrine. "You have to! What will happen to your friends if you don't?"

She looked over at a barely stirring Kratos. Despite his treacherous crimes in what seemed like such a distant past, he had become very close to her, much like a father. She then turned to Lloyd. "Lloyd… I…" He could be seen trying to get up but with no success. It was more likely than not that his desire to protect her was what was driving him to keep trying.

"See Sheena?" said Corrine. "Everyone's counting on you! It's up to you to beat this guy! Use the power of your heart and soul! It's the only way!"

Sheena looked up as the demon continued his march towards her. "How Corrine? What do I have to do?"

Corrine could be heard giggling. "You already know how, Sheena! Good luck! Show Lloyd what you're made of!" The voice then vanished.

Sheena shed a few more tears but managed to smile. "Corrine… thank you." She stood back up and drew Acalantha once more.

Abyssion stopped in his tracks more and flashed that familiar smirk of his at her. "Well now, are you done talking to yourself? Funny what raw fear can do to someone."

She smiled sweetly at him, intending it as a show of confidence. She wasn't sure how she was going to do it, but… somewhere, deep within her, she knew that she could defeat Abyssion. "My name is Sheena Fujibayashi! Grand Summoner of Symphonia!" She pointed defiantly at him. "And that would make you "Toast!"

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It's down to the lovely summoner now! Will the pep talk from Corrine's spirit be enough to pull her through this? Tune in next time and find out! Don't forget the reviews! Oh, I'm not sure what the two joined worlds are called, so uh…I'm calling it Symphonia. If anyone knows the actual name of the joined world, lemme know.


	10. The Power of Love

A/N: Round 2, Sheena vs. Abyssion! With Kratos seemingly down for the count (to put it lightly) and Lloyd having trouble with just trying to stand back up, it's up to Sheena to stop Abyssion. Does she even have a chance?

Thanks again for all the lovely reviews. I shall take this time to address a few of them:

Concerning Acalantha: …oops. Heh, I have the memory of a goldfish. My bad. My controller is screwy, so it's hard for me to go back and check stuff.

Concerning the post-Abyssion idea: Heh… I have other plans. You'll see.

Concerning Longer Chapters: Yeah, you're definitely right. I, myself, would like to be able to produce longer chapters and will strive to do so whenever possible. I partially blame my busy work schedule, but some of the best writers on are both in college and holding down a job and have little difficulty with writing long stories. I envy their writing skills. I believe that, in my nearly two months since I've begun writing fanfiction, I have made great strides of progress in developing my writing abilities. Hopefully I'll get better.

Anyway, on with the story!

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Chapter 10: The Power of Love

The menacing demon pointed to himself. "Me? Toast? Don't make me laugh little girl. Your display of false bravado is nothing more than a pathetic attempt to hide your own overwhelming fear. Face it, it's over."

Sheena rolled and flipped Acalantha between her the fingers on her right hand as she stared at Abyssion. Against what he thought, she was not falsely displaying bravery. She indeed thought that there was a way to defeat Abyssion and was determined to find it. Her main concern was time, for, even if she found a way to beat him, would it be too late by the time she did?

"No way Abyssion, you're wrong. I can, and will, win. Just watch me!" Acalantha then split into two separate cards. She held one in each hand and crouched down low, prepared to rush him.

Abyssion shook his head and walked toward her once more. "Didn't we try this once before?" He pointed first to Kratos, who had managed to flip himself over so that he was on his back. He then pointed to Lloyd who had almost managed to stand back up before he fell down once again. "You can see the results as plain as day. After I dispose of you, I'm going to finish the job I started on those two."

Pure anger shined through Sheena's normally kind eyes as she dashed at the powerful demon. "The hell you will!"

Abyssion smirked and tossed Evil Eye lightly into the air. He caught it and yelled, "Watch me!" He took a strong step forward and threw Evil Eye at her.

Sheena skidded to a halt and began to chant very quickly. Just before Evil Eye struck her, she threw a card on the ground and yelled, "Guardian Seal!" Evil Eye hit the barrier but was deflected harmlessly away.

Abyssion took a step back. "What? It actually managed to stop Evil Eye? Feh, no matter." He closed his eyes for a moment and the Diablos Axe came into existence. Opening his eyes, he swung the axe from side-to-side and pointed it at her. "Come on, I don't have all day!" He then ran at her and swung the axe with great force at her.

Just as the axe was coming towards, she leaped upward and managed to actually land on the blade. She rode the axe until Abyssion had reached the end of his 180 degree swing. After this, she jumped off of it and, before Abyssion could react to this unsuspected maneuver, set the demon's back on fire as she dealt a critical blow to Abyssion with Acalantha.

Abyssion fell face-first to the ground and involuntarily threw the axe to the other side of the room, not far from where Kratos lay. Sheena flipped the Acalanthas between her fingers once again and grinned. "Heh. See? Toast." She began to chant once more.

Abyssion groggily stood up and staggered for a moment. He shook his head and turned back to Sheena. "Well, well. You're certainly more interesting than those other two losers." He brought the Disaster Kendama into existence and used is like a whip as he let the ball lash out and his Sheena in the stomach while in the middle of her chant.

"Oof!" she said as she clutched her stomach and fell to her knees, her summoning ritual now ruined.

Abyssion retracted the ball and made Disaster disappear. In its place was the staff, Heart of Chaos. "But I really do tire of this. Accept your fate and die!" He ran up to Sheena and swung the staff much like a golf club and hit her once again in the stomach. This sent her flying through air and she bounced off of the wall Lloyd was near. The pain she felt in her abdomen was almost too much to bear. All she could do was clutch her stomach and roll around on the ground, more-or-less helplessly.

Lloyd looked on in horror as he watched Sheena roll around near him. "Sheena! Hang in there!" He watched as Abyssion edged closer and closer to them. All hope that had burned in him was now gone. Everyone seemed to be down for the count and now Abyssion was ready to end their lives. He looked back at Sheena who had stopped rolling and was now laying flat on her back, taking very heavy and labored breaths.

Lloyd couldn't take it. He was never going to see Sheena again. He regretted all the opportunities that he had passed up when he could've told Sheena just how he felt about her. "It's… it's not fair!" he yelled.

Sheena tried reaching up to touch Lloyd's cheek with her delicate fingers. She tried to speak but could only manage a two-word sentence: "S-sorry… Lloyd…"

Well aware that Abyssion was nearing them, Lloyd took what he thought was his last chance to lean down and kiss Sheena on the lips. Though brief, it was full of love and compassion. "I love you Sheena. I…" He turned to Abyssion and finally managed to stand up. "I hope there's another world beyond our own. I want to see you there." He turned to Abyssion and drew his Valkyrie blades as he dashed at him.

Sheena struggled to sit up and could barely be heard as she tried to yell. "Lloyd! No!"

Tears flying through the air behind, Lloyd let out a blood-curdling yell as he rushed Abyssion. "You bastard!!!"

With seemingly little effort and without even looking at him, Abyssion knocked Lloyd into the wall not far from where he had started off. After the fall, he then fell to the floor. There, he remained motionless.

Sheena's vision became cloudy as she witnessed what happened to Lloyd. "Lloyd… no…" Could it be true? Was he… dead?

Smirking, Abyssion finally turned to the fallen Lloyd. "Hmph. Annoying fly. Fine then." A sphere of energy formed around Abyssion's right hand as the Heart of Chaos disappeared. "If that last hit didn't kill you, this one sure will!" With that, the sphere of energy streaked from his hand to the motionless Lloyd.

Through some unknown feat of strength, Sheena managed to get up and dive on top of Lloyd, ready to take the hit for him. It just didn't matter anymore. Already dead or not, she did not feel that she could live without Lloyd. Even if she could beat Abyssion, life would feel so pointless without him. The world around her seemed to move in slow-motion as she thought about him.

"Lloyd, you gave your life for me. That's… that's the most self-less act I've ever seen anyone perform. Now Lloyd, it's my turn to die for you." She titled her head in such a way that she could kiss him on the lips. "I love you Lloyd." She then closed her eyes and waited for the end.

It never came. She heard the impact of the blow but didn't feel anything. Abyssion cursed and struck again but, again, Sheena felt nothing. She slowly opened her eyes, wondering why she had felt nothing from Abyssion's seemingly ferocious attacks. Looking around her, she noticed that Lloyd and herself were now surrounded by a translucent, pink dome. "A barrier? How…"

The giggle of Corrine rang throughout her mind. "You did it Sheena! Your heart is very strong indeed!"

Sheena stood up and shook her head, unsure of what exactly was happening. "Wait, what did I just do? And how did this barrier get here?"

A shadowy image of Corrine appeared on the ground just in-front of her. Its warm-hearted smile and the cuteness of his wagging tail brought great amounts of comfort to Sheena's heart. "Silly Sheena! You made that barrier! Don't you see?"

She shook her head. "I don't unde-"

Corrine cut her off. "You made it with your heart, Sheena. Your desire to protect Lloyd was so great that it projected itself as a barrier to defend the two of you from harm. Look!"

Corrine turned around to see a very angry Abyssion pounding on the smooth surface of the mystical barrier. He tried his best to get in, but just couldn't. Corrine raised his front paws in the air and hopped from one hind leg to the other in a dance-like fashion. "Nyah, nyah! You can't get us!"

Abyssion shook a clenched fist at the overly cute Corrine. "You little rodent! I don't know where the hell you came from, but once I break this damn barrier, both you and that little bitch are dead! You hear me?! DEAD!!!" With nothing more than his bare fists, he was pounding the walls of the domed barrier with seemingly enough force to knock over small buildings with a single blow. Even this was not enough, however, as he made no progress in getting inside.

Corrine sat back down and turned back to Sheena. "And that's another thing. Your heart is so strong that even "Stupid" out there can see me. Isn't that neat, Sheena?"

Sheena rubbed her still aching stomach. She was still confused with what all was happening. "Did I really make this barrier? For Lloyd?"

Corrine nodded. "Yes, but not just for Lloyd. You obviously have a good spot in your heart for Kratos too. Look!" Corrine pointed with one paw in the direction where Kratos lay. He was still on his back, but he too was protected by a barrier similar to their own.

Sheena took a step back. "Wow. I-I guess I really did make this. I don't know how, but…" She looked down at and kneeled down next to Lloyd. "…I'm glad I was able to. At least I can spend a little more time with Lloyd before-"

"Before you die? Haha!" The tiny Corrine giggled warm-heartedly. "This barrier isn't the only thing you can do, Sheena! The powers of your heart are boundless! Use this same power to attack Abyssion!"

She looked down at the little rodent, a bit puzzled. "But how? I can save us from attack, but how can I project… my… heart…!" An idea suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks. "The Mana Cannon! Will that work?"

Corrine nodded again and clapped with its little front paws. "There you go Sheena! Only this time, the only element you will be using is your heart. It can't be tainted by anything else, not even by Origin or Maxwell. Do you understand?"

Sheena stepped forward and nodded. "I think I've got it. Thanks Corrine."

Corrine giggled again. "Go to it Sheena! Hurry up and mop the floor with this guy! I know you can do it!"

The kind summoner smiled and took a few more steps forward. She was ready to lower the barrier when something crossed her mind. "Corrine! You're-" She turned around, only to find that her little friend was gone once again. She turned back to the raging Abyssion and closed her eyes. "Now I understand. That must be what Kratos was trying to hide earlier. I don't know how I made the pact, but now I have to use _him_ to defeat Abyssion." She took a very deep breath and began to chant as she slowly dropped the barrier.

Abyssion had dropped back a few steps, prepared to ram the barrier with all his might. Much to his surprise, he saw that the barrier was actually dropping without his assistance. "Finally! About damn time!" He dropped down into a sprinter's stance, ready to obliterate Sheena once the barrier was fully down.

The barrier finally dissipated, leaving Sheena uncovered. The demon rushed at her full speed and, as before, the world around Sheena moved in slow motion. Spectral cherry blossoms swirled all-around her as she whispered to herself. Finally, her eyes shot open and she dropped back into a stance that would brace herself. Proudly, she yelled aloud, "I call upon the most powerful of the summon spirits and what he represents: Hikari no Ai! My heart and mind are one! Come, Velius!"

(A/N: Hikari no Ai is Japanese for "The Light of Love" if I remember correctly)

"IT'S OVER!!!" screamed Abyssion as he reared back his leg to strike Sheena, obviously meaning to kill her with one strike. His action was aborted prematurely when he stumbled forward after being hit in the back with something. "Gah! What the…?!" He turned around to see a kneeling Kratos with one hand out-stretched and steaming and the other clutching the hole in his chest.

"Now Sheena! Do it!" yelled Kratos with great difficulty.

Sheena brought her hands together to form the mana cannon. The energy of her "summoning" glowed around her hands and brought far more light to the room than was already there. The glowing stopped for a brief moment as Sheena yelled, "Eat this!"

From her palms erupted a beam of pinkish-white light, much larger than Kratos' Judgment beam. Abyssion saw the beam streaking towards him but didn't have nearly enough time to move out of the way. The beam slammed into the seemingly unstoppable demon and propelled him all the way to the other side of the room and slammed him against the wall. He was now pinned and couldn't do anything but scream in agony as the beam of beautiful light crushed him against the wall.

Kratos got up and began to slowly make his way towards Sheena. "It's working! Keep it up!  
Without replying back, Sheena began taking some very heavy steps forward as she did her best to maintain the power of the beam. "You wanna hurt the people I care about? Huh? HUH?! I'll show you what I'm made of!"

Despite the insane amounts of pain he was feeling, Abyssion managed to scrape himself off the wall while the beam kept slamming into him. It was truly amazing to witness just how powerful this guy was. Sheena's beam should've been enough to destroy anything in one shot, but he was actually able to stand up against it. "Damn her!" yelled Abyssion as he put his arm up ahead of him, putting much of the stress and pain from his body on it instead.

Kratos watched Abyssion as he stood up against the beam. His eyes shot wide open a moment later and he yelled, "Sheena! He's actually managing to walk against the beam! You have to make it stronger!"

Sheena had fallen to her knees while her arms were stretched out. Using Velius' beam was sapping all of the energy out of her. Yes she was extremely powerful now, but even she had her limits. "I can't give it any more! Velius! Please, help me!"

Lloyd's eyes opened up only to reveal the intense battle that was going on between Sheena and Abyssion. He took notice of the beam she was projecting and only pondered about its existence for no more than a brief moment. "Huh… how'd she do that?" He shook his head and managed to prop himself up and rest on his knees. "Doesn't matter," he said groggily as he attempted to stand back up. "Gotta help Sheena. Looks like she could use it."

He picked his blades back up and, using them as supports, managed to bring himself back on his feet. Dragging his blades along the ground behind him, he walked toward Abyssion. Once partially past Sheena, who didn't even notice as he passed, he stopped for a moment as the world seemed to spin around him. "Guh… shake it off Lloyd. Gotta help her."

A strong and very firm voice reverberated inside his head and said, "Indeed."

Lloyd slowly looked around him but only saw Kratos and Sheena close to him. The voice didn't sound like Kratos and Lloyd began to ponder as to where the voice originated from. "Eh? Who said that?" he said to himself.

The voice continued. "I am Velius, the summon-spirit of the heart. I have accepted summoner Sheena's and your own vows. I am now here to serve you to the best of my abilities."

Lloyd shook his head and dropped his blades. "Whoa, whoa, whoa… Velius? I thought you didn't make pacts. Furthermore, when did we ever make a pact with you? I can't even do that stuff!"

"You misunderstood me," started Velius. "What I said is that I don't accept traditional vows: vows usually reserved for the more well-known summon spirits. One can not force a pact out of me, and must instead earn it by exhibiting a true heart."

Lloyd blinked twice. Exhibiting a true heart? When did they do that? Furthermore, it still didn't answer how he himself was able to make a pact when he knew that only Sheena could do that.

Velius continued once again. "My pact is special, for it requires a vow from, not one, but from two people, one of which is the summoner. Also unique is the fact that the vow is not made to me. Rather, they make it to each other, and thus the pact with me is formed. So, as you can see, I serve only the strongest of hearts."

Lloyd paused for a moment and closed his eyes. "A vow between two people? What does that mean?" He thought back to last night and wondered what had happened between him and Sheena… him and Sheena" Of course! That was it! "The vow must've been when we said "I love you" to each other!"

A soft laugh rang throughout his head. Well done Master Lloyd. Now then, you have to help our lady summoner."

Lloyd slowly kneeled down to pick his blades back up. "Right. That Abyssion is gonna regret messing with us." He took a few labored steps forward and was stopped once again by the voice in his head.

"No, Master Lloyd," said Velius. "Not like that. It won't work."

Lloyd was getting frustrated. "Grr… then how do I do it?"

The voice then faded to a mere whisper as it said, "You know how…"

Frustrated, Lloyd let his blades drop once again and kept looking back and forth between Sheena and Abyssion. "I already know how, huh? Feh. How the hell am I…" His train of thought came to a screeching halt as his gaze fixated on Sheena. "Velius is the summon spirit of the heart, right? The pact is made between the summoner and someone else, me in this case. Does that mean that I have the same power as Sheena?" He pondered this for a moment a decided against his theory. "No, that's not it. But maybe… maybe…" He noticed that Sheena was now maintaining the beam with only one hand now. Soon, she'll be too weak to keep the beam in existence. "…I've got an idea. I hope this works. I'm passing up perhaps my only chance to get a few free shots in on Abyssion."

Leaving the blades on the ground, he staggered in the direction of Sheena and Kratos. Kratos was now on his knees, still too weak from his wound to do much else than watch as Sheena fought. He had taken notice of Lloyd but said nothing to Sheena who too focused on trying to beat Abyssion. Once he was behind her, he dropped down to his knees and wrapped his arms around Sheena.

Sheena quickly turned her head to the side. "Lloyd! You're…" The power of the beam then intensified by nearly three-fold and, once again, Abyssion was pinned against the wall and was screaming in more pain than before.

"AHH!!! NO!!! HOW CAN THIS…" Abyssion flailed about in vain as he tried to find someway to break away from this beam.

Lloyd laughed softly. "Alive? Haha… this dope Abyssion ain't gonna keep me away from you, Sheena. I love you too much to let that happen." He reached his hands a bit further ahead of Sheena and held the outside of her hands.

"Lloyd…" she said as the power of the beam intensified even more.

It was truly over for Abyssion now. He had managed to get off the wall, but the further intensified beam struck him once he did. This one did not back, however. Instead, it enveloped him and slowly began to eat away at him. He was disintegrating and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

**_"DAMN YOU!! VELIUS!!"_** were Abyssion's last words as his body was turned into nothing more than scattered atoms. The only thing that remained was a pile of all nine of the Devil Arms on the ground.

"Lloyd! Sheena! You did it!" cried Kratos as he struggled to stand back up once more.

The two lovers let the beam die down to nothing and each heaved their own great sigh of relief.

"No Dad," said Lloyd as he and Sheena turned to each other, still knees-down on the ground. "Sheena did it. I just helped out a little."

Sheena could not stop the waterfall of joyful tears that were to follow Lloyd's words. She threw her arms around Lloyd's neck and kissed him sweetly on the lips. "Lloyd, Kratos… thank you. We ALL defeated Abyssion after-all. Let's leave it at that." She stood up and dusted herself off. Once done, she helped Lloyd up to his feet and then did the same for Kratos.

In her mind, she heard Corrine's voice faintly say, "Hehe! Well done Sheena! Make sure you take care of Lloyd, huh?"

Sheena lowered her head and smiled. "Thank you Corrine, I mean… no… Corrine," she whispered.

Lloyd tilted his head. "Mmm? Did you say something Sheena?"

Sheena looked back up at him and shook her head. "Nah. Just talking to myself."

"You mean to Corrine/Velius," said Kratos in reply to Sheena.

Sheena and Lloyd looked over at Kratos. "What? So you did know!" said Sheena. "I knew it! How come you didn't tell us?"

Kratos smiled. "It's quite simple, really. The pact between the two of you and Velius was made last night while you were asleep, right after you two had confessed your true, unconditional love for each other."

The two lovers looked away from each other and blushed. Kratos continued. "I had witnessed the pact-making. I couldn't tell you about it, however. I feared that, if I told you about it, that Velius' "gift" might not come about if a lover's act was pre-meditated as opposed to coming naturally."

Lloyd brought his hands to his chin and rubbed it. "I see. I think I get it." He looked back over at Sheena and held her hand. She looked back up at him. "If that's the case Dad, you were right."

Kratos chuckled. "Heh. I'm proud of both of you, and I'd like to congratulate you on raising to the next level of your relationship. There's something I wanted to give you for just such a moment."

Sheena gazed over at Kratos. "Hmm? What is it?"

As Kratos fumbled around in his pocket, unbeknownst to Symphonia's heroes, the Devil Arms and the Necronomicron glowed softly with a dark aura.

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Aww crap! What's gonna happen now? Talk about bad timing Again, sorry for the long wait for this update, but I hope the wait was worth it. I put in almost 4,000 words into this chapter. Please leave me reviews! I promise that the next chapter will come a lot sooner than this one did!


	11. Armageddon

A/N: Chapter 11, comin' right up! Abyssion's been disposed of by the combined power of Lloyd and Sheena (with a handy assist from Kratos) and everything looks to be back to normal, right? Wrong! Abyssion may be "toast" as Sheena so eloquently put it, but the weapons and the book are just fine. What's in store for our heroes now?

Now for review comments:

VeRius, not VeLius: Oops. I'll keep that in mind.

Falcon's Crest: Don't know much about the PS2 "remake". Sorry.

Kratos' wound: Don't worry. It was to the heart area and not the heart itself. He'll be ok.

Another Sheloyd scene: Yup, and I hope to make it even more mushy than last time.

With that, enjoy the new chapter!

-

Chapter 11: Armageddon

The Devil Arms slowly lifted into the air along with the Necronomicron. The soft light initially emanating from these objects gradually grew in luminescence until it caught the attention of the trio of heroes.

"Eh? What the heck is going on?" asked Lloyd.

Sheena shook her head, obviously concerned about this sudden turn of events. "The Devil Arms? But we destroyed Abyssion! How can they still be active?"

Kratos immediately took his hand out of his pocket and dashed towards the book and the weapons. "No! We must destroy the weapons befo-"

A bright flash illuminated the entire room. Once the blinding light subsided, a white demon standing nearly nine feet tall loomed over the three heroes, taking the place where weapons and book once were. "Before anything else bad happens?" it bellowed. A roar of laughter erupted from the powerful looking demon as it threw its arms outward. "Too late! You had your chance, and now you shall pay for your carelessness!"

Lloyd and Sheena took a few steps back as Kratos froze in his tracks. "Impossible…" Kratos whispered. "We defeated Abyssion! How can you still be standing before us, and in such a powerful form?"

"Foolish angel," the demon said. "Abyssion was merely a catalyst. You could say that he was "warming up" the Devil Arms for me. Once he was done with you insects, I was simply going to… "take over" and go about my merry way. As it turns out, you actually managed to beat him with that weakling Verius, but he did manage to reawaken enough power with the Devil Arms for me to come back with."

Stronger than Abyssion? Was that even possible? The though ran through Sheena's mind but, if it were true, how could they ever hope to defeat this thing, whatever it was. "Who… who are you?" she asked in a low, fear-struck tone.

The great demon smirked and folded his arms. "Heh. I thought it was rather obvious, but I guess my legend has been lost since my last appearance so many millennia ago. Hell, I'm from before even that angel's time!"

Kratos said nothing in response as the demon continued. "I am Nebilim, lord of the devils and of Niflheim, a world of fantastic horror created with my own powers. It has long been sealed away in an ancient book by a very powerful Exsphere. From what I understand, those meddlesome elves had it last, but I hear that they lost their ancient book and some foolish scholar picked it up. Heh… should be easy to find."

Lloyd leaned over to Sheena and whispered, "Ancient book? I wonder if he's talking about that weird book we saw in Sybak about a year ago."

Nebilim gazed at the young couple and his smile widened. "I heard that, and I thank you for narrowing down my search."

Kratos wheeled around to face Lloyd and Sheena and yelled, "Lloyd!"

Lloyd covered his mouth, despite knowing that it was too late. "Oops."

"Heh. Don't worry kid. All you did was save me a mere few minutes of my time. Don't feel so bad." Nebilim roared with laughter, causing both Sheena and Lloyd to cringe in fear.

Kratos ignored the pain he was feeling from his wound from earlier and drew his blade. "We have to destroy him now! The weapons were not fully charged when he came into existence, so there's a chance that he may be weaker than Abyssion now!" He extended his wings and flew at Nebilim with great speed, who didn't even flinch as he watched the angel rush him.

"Well done angel…" said Nebilim as Kratos swung his blade full-force at him. However, before the blow could connect, Nebilim disappeared. The heroes looked all-around them only to find that Nebilim was now standing at the bottom of the stairs leading upward.

Nebilim spoke again. "But it matters not. It is true that, for the moment, I am weaker than that fool Abyssion was. However, once Niflheim becomes manifest upon Symphonia, Abyssion will be remembered as nothing more than a sickly rodent when compared to me. It is for this reason that I shall fight you here. In a few minutes, I'll have all the time in the world to kill you. Farewell for now, imbeciles!" With an echoing laugh, his body turned into a ball of pure energy and moved at near-impossible speeds as it made its way up the stairs and out of the temple.

Not one of the heroes spoke for a moment. They knew that they should do something but didn't… they couldn't. What could they do? At the speed he was moving, they would never catch him and Sybak was a long way off from where they were. Even if they used the Rheiards, they wouldn't make it in time. One course of action became apparent to Kratos: if they couldn't prevent what was going to happen from happening, the best that they could do was try to survive.

"Come on!" yelled Kratos as he ran upstairs. "We have to get out of here, now!"

Despite being confused with what all was going on, Sheena and Lloyd offered no argument as they silently but rapidly followed Kratos.

-

Quick Jump: Sybak

In the middle of what could be considered the town square, a strange ball of dark light seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Several curious souls overcame their initial fear and confusion to get a better look at this anomaly.

"Wow!" exclaimed a young lady. "What is this?"

A young man standing close to her expressed his own theory. "Maybe it's a summon spirit!"

An older man wearing a long white coat and thick glasses scratched his bushy chin and pondered this. "If that's the case, then this must be Shadow. Observe the dark hues of the light. It could be none other than he."

A flash of light flooded the square without warning and, once everyone could see again, they were horrified to find out that, in the light's place, was an incredibly powerful looking demon. The students and professors could do naught but stare in wonder and fear at this being. This, sadly enough, was to be short-lived.

Nebilim smirked. "You're wrong, boys and girls. Summon Spirits are generally rational beings." His body glowed softly with a dark aura as he extended his arms to either side of himself. "I, however, am not."

Before anyone could react to what he had just said, all of the bystanders' bodies exploded internally, killing them instantly and spraying maddening amounts of gore everywhere. "Hmph. Humans..." mumbled the demon to himself as he closed his eyes and slowly spun around. As he did this, farther-off bystanders screamed in absolute horror as they watched their friends get killed in such a brutal manner and many fled in a panic as they did so.

After a moment, he completely stopped and opened his eyes. The faint aura exuded by the imprisoned world of Niflheim could be felt through the walls of the great library of Sybak. He smirked. "Gotcha." He walked towards the library, fully ready to unleash a new era of terror and strife upon the peaceful world of Symphonia.

-

Quick Jump: Temple of Darkness

The three heroes emerged from the entrance of the temple, breathing heavily as they did so. They had no clear idea of what they were doing other than trying to survive. Survive against what, though? Lloyd and Sheena only had a vague understanding of what was going on and, although he didn't much more than they did, he did seem to understand that they somehow had to get to safety.

"Dad! What are we supposed to do now?" asked Lloyd.

Before he could reply, a massive explosion could be seen in the direction of Sybak. Kratos could only assume the worst.

"No!" he cried. "He's already found the book!"

Sheena shivered in fear as she clung to Lloyd. "W-what does this mean?"

Cold beads of sweat dripped down Kratos' face. Whatever it meant, it seemed as if they were about to find out, much to his own dismay. "I… I don't know."

Once the explosion died down, the sky slowly lost its own hues of blue and changed to a crimson hue of red. Several large wisps of white, black, and red energy flew skyward from the source of the explosion and hideous sounds could be heard echoing across the horizon. The screams, howls, and maniacal fits of laughter filled the hearts of the party with immeasurable amounts of dread.

Kratos swallowed a very large lump in his throat. "This… must be Niflheim- ah!" He fell to his knees and clutched the fairly deep wound near his heart. From it pulsated a sickly green and black aura. "The Devil Arms… their effects still linger." He fell over on his side and moaned in pain.

"Da-augh!" Lloyd fell over as well as the several wounds he had suffered from the Devil Arms glowed with the same energy that Kratos' did. All he could do was roll around in agony as the light emanating from the wounds grew and grew.

"Lloyd! Kratos!" She immediately realized that she had been wounded by one of the Devil Arms when she received that large and very nasty bruise in the stomach caused by Disaster. Her stomach began to ache tremendously and it took everything she had just remain upright. She knew that it was no good though. Soon, she would succumb to the dark energies that now plagued Lloyd and Kratos. Her vision now blurring, she looked off in the distance and saw what appeared to be large half-globes of energy emanating from where the temples were supposed to be.

"Wh-… what's going on?" she whispered as she stumbled back and forth. She finally fell to her knees with tears of pain and sadness streaming down her face. "Is this it? Have we really lost?" She threw her arms upward and cried, "Verius! Please, help us!" She then fell over and blacked out, unable to bear the pain any longer.

-

Lloyd slowly opened his eyes and, much to his surprise, found that he was in a relatively small but very comfortable room that looked very familiar to him. "Where am I? Was it all just a dream?" he wondered to himself. He blinked a few times and began to slowly tilt his head as he examined the room. He was even more surprised when he saw Zelos sitting silently in a chair next to the bed. This caused him to sit up immediately and say, "Zelos! What are you doing here?"

Zelos looked up from his thoughts and faced Lloyd. "Lloyd! So you're ok. That's good to know. We were getting a worried that you'd never wake up."

Although pleased to see Zelos, a great amount of fear struck him as he remembered his companions. "Sheena! Where is she! Please tell me she's alright Zelos!"

Zelos put his good arm on Lloyd's quivering shoulder and said, "Relax bud, she's okay. She's upstairs sleeping right now. Colette's watching over her."

Lloyd tilted his head. "Colette's here too?"

Zelos nodded. "Of course. This is her house after-all."

"So we're in Iselia…but how did we get here?" Lloyd wondered to himself. He shook his head and asked, "Dad! Where's Kratos?"

"He's fine. He's been up and about for a few days now. He's pretty tough, it seems." Zelos took his hand off of Lloyd's shoulder.

Lloyd took a moment to put all of this together. He was glad to hear that, not only were they all okay, but they were also in Iselia. One question now remained. "Zelos… what happened? Urk…" Lloyd grouped one of his still healing wounds and laid back down.

"Take it easy," said Zelos. "You got the worst beating out of the three of you. You're still gonna need some rest. Get some more sleep, and I'll tell you later."

Lloyd wanted to protest but just couldn't. He was too hurt… too tired. Without saying another word, he closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep.

-

"Lloyd!" screamed Sheena as she sat up in her bed, her face dripping with cold beads of sweat.

Colette turned to her and gave her trademark heart-warming smile. "Sheena! Thank goodness you're ok! We were so worried about you! And don't worry; Lloyd's okay. He's sleeping downstairs."

Sheena took a few deep breaths. It was comforting to see that Colette was here and that Lloyd was okay but she wondered where she was. Also, where was Kratos? What happened to them?

"Colette, is Kratos okay too? And where are we?" she asked.

Colette stood up and walked over to a small table upon which a tea pot and two small cups rested. "He's okay too. He recovered from his wounds really quickly. He's very strong. Oh, and you're in my house in Iselia."

"Iselia?" said Sheena. "How did we get here?"

Colette shrugged as she brought a cup of warm tea to Sheena. "I'm not sure. One of the priests of Verius' Temple said that he found all three of you lying next to the altar. All of you had suffered terrible wounds from… something, we didn't know what. We brought you to my house and, well, tried to fix you up."

Sheena closed her eyes and lowered her head. "Thank you Verius. You've saved us once again."

Colette leaned in a bit closer. "Hmm? Did you say something Sheena?"

Sheena quickly shook her head. "Oh, uh, nothing. Just talking to myself." She opened her eyes and looked back at Colette. "Colette… what's going on? The things I saw before I blacked out, I… I… I had never been so scared in my life."

Colette leaned fully over and hugged Sheena. "Don't worry about that now. You need some rest. After you're better, you can tell us your story and we can tell you what we know. Okay?"

Sheena nodded slowly and sipped on her tea. "I'm feeling much better than before, but I guess I could use some more sleep."

Colette nodded. "It's getting late. I'll leave you be and check up on Kratos. He sure is stubborn." She giggled.

Sheena couldn't help but smile. "Yeah… he sure is."

Colette walked toward the door and turned back once more. "Good night Sheena! I hope you feel better tomorrow morning!" She turned off the lights and closed the door.

Feeling a bit restless, Sheena turned on a very dim lamp and walked over to a nearby mirror. She wanted to see how bad the bruise on her stomach was. Just by touching it, she could ell that it had already healed quite significantly. She took off her large ribbon and vest-like kimono and examined her stomach in front of the mirror.

"Huh… could be worse," she said as she poked the bruise. She winced slightly. "A lot worse…"

The room was filled with a very dim glow as she examined the bruise. She looked up slowly and saw that something on her was the source of the light. When she discovered the source, she screamed loudly and fell to the ground.

The light quickly died as Colette ran back into the room and turned on a light only to find a heavily breathing Sheena lying on the floor. "Sheena, are you ok? I thought I heard a scream."

Sheena smiled nervously. "A-ah, I'm sorry. I thought I saw a mouse."

Colette giggled. "I didn't know you were afraid of mice, Sheena. That's pretty funny."

Sheena laughed back. "Yeah, it is, isn't it?"

Colette turned the light off once more and bid Sheena a good-night once more as she closed the door.

Sheena stood back up and walked back to the mirror. The glow returned and filled Sheena with great confusion. "How did this happen to me? I didn't ever… I wonder if…"

-

What has happened to the world? Has Niflheim really become manifest upon the world? And what's wrong with Sheena? All this and more will be answered in the next chapter, sp please keep reading and reviewing! Also, if I spelled Nebilim or Niflheim wrong, please correct me.


	12. Sheena's Secret

A/N: Everything is coming around so suddenly, isn't it? The most ironic part of this is perhaps that, despite the world being seemingly under the effects of Niflheim, the heroes are finally getting their first good amount of rest in quite some time. Why is this though? If Niflheim is truly manifest upon the world, why is it that Iselia remains so peaceful? And why IS Sheena glowing? Is it from her wounds? Maybe it's from Verius? Or maybe… maybe it's something else. This chapter is going to go in-depth on the state of the world, what the heroes plan on doing about it, and I'll also reveal what's wrong with Sheena. On with the story!

Oh, and thanks Lloyd (Irving) Aurion for the info on Falcon's Crest. Once I get a working controller, I'm gonna try it out.

-

Chapter 12: Sheena's Secret

Lloyd emerged from his room, still sore in several spots of his body but relatively fine otherwise. The puncture wounds he had suffered in his side were healing very nicely and only hurt slightly when someone touched them. The past few days of rest had already done wonders for him. With a few more days rest, he'd be ready to fight once again. He heard very light steps coming from the direction of the stairs and figured it was Sheena. He walked towards the stairs to greet her but was quite surprised by what he saw. It was Sheena alright, but her face was very pale and she seemed to have greatly difficulty with descending the stairs.

He took a few steps upward and offered her his hand. "Sheena, are you okay? You look sick. REALLY sick."

She leaned against the banister and took a few deep breaths. "I-I'm fine Lloyd. I think I… I think I caught a cold or something. If I take it easy, I should be ok. Thanks for worrying about me." She let him take her hand and began making her way downward once again.

When Lloyd took hold of her hand, his entire body shivered. Her hands felt like they were made of pure ice. Even during his worst of fevers, he could never remember his hands ever feeling this cold. "Sheena, are you sure you're ok? Your hands are like ice."

She turned away before she replied. "Ah, I uh… I left the window open last night. Must've gotten cold outside while I was asleep."

Something didn't seem right. He didn't want to call Sheena a liar, but there seemed to be something that she wasn't telling him. After helping her down the last few stairs, he asked, "Sheena, if there was something really wrong with you, you'd tell me, right?"

Sheena said nothing and was extremely relieved when she saw Kratos come through the front door. "H-hello Kratos," she said. "How's your wound?"

He pointed to a bandage that wrapped around his torso and covered the wound near his heart. "Stings a little, but it's otherwise fine. And you two?"

Lloyd rotated his right shoulder as if he was turning a crank. "Side's still a little sore, but I can fight if I have to. Sheena doesn't look too well though."

Sheena turned away as Kratos walked towards her. "Sheena, your face has lost much of its color. Are you ill?"

She turned back to him and nodded. "Yeah. I'm sure it's nothing."

Kratos nodded back. "Perhaps. It may be… nothing more than the lingering effects of that terrible blow you took to your stomach. Speaking of which, does the bruise still remain?"

She shook her head with a small smile. "It seems to be gone now. These past few days of rest have been good for me."

The three of them stared at one another for a moment while saying nothing. After what they had been through a few days ago, it was a wonder that they were all still alive and in seemingly good physical shape. It was now time for Lloyd and Sheena to ask the inevitable question.

"Dad?" asked Lloyd. "What happened to us back there? At the temple, I mean. I thought we were dead for sure and… when I saw the sky turn red I thought… gah!" He shook his head. "What's going on? The sky looks fine outside right now, but I know what I saw outside of the temple on that day."

"Easy Lloyd." Kratos put his strong hand on Lloyd's left shoulder. "I shall explain everything to you and Sheena. Let's sit at the table, if you don't mind."

He motioned toward the large table in the middle of the room and sat at the head of the table. Lloyd and Sheena both sat on his left-hand side, with Sheena resting her head on Lloyd's shoulder the entire while. He locked hands with her and turned back to his father.

"Alright dad," he started. "Please tell us what you know."

The angel folded his hands, laid them on the table, and began. "We all know what happened inside of the temple, so I will skip those details. I will start with our escape from the temple. Once we were outside, we all noticed a large explosion coming from the direction of Sybak."

"That's when you thought Nebilim had gotten the book," Lloyd said, matter-of-factly.

His father nodded. "Correct. After that, we saw the sky turn into a bloody-hue of red and we heard a number of strange sounds coming from all around us. It was after this all happened when we finally succumbed to the wounds we suffered from the Devil Arms and blacked out."

Sheena raised her head a little. "Colette told me that one of the priests of the Martel Temple found us at Verius' altar and he brought us back to Iselia to get us healed."

He nodded again. "That's the same story that Raine gave me. No one is sure how we got there, but I have a theory."

"Verius," said Lloyd without a hint of doubt in his voice.

"That's the only way we can explain our miraculous survival," said Kratos.

Sheena smiled weakly and laid her head back down on Lloyd's shoulder. "Thank you, Verius," she whispered.

Lloyd took his free hand and waved it around. "What about the sky and Niflheim and all that?"

Kratos took a deep breath and sighed. "I don't know. Several of the villagers have reported walking beyond a certain point of the village's outskirts and seeing the sky immediately turning red around them. A few have even seen demons running about the land. Once they stepped back, everything seemed to return to normal."

Lloyd scratched his head, obviously puzzled. "Eh? What the heck is that all about?"

The angel stood up and walked to the window. "I honestly have no clue. The priests have recently found a hidden underground library in the Martel Temple and have found hundreds of volumes of books of lore. We think that perhaps we may find some of the answers we seek down there. The only problem is that every book is written in the Angelic tongue. Because of the mystic nature of the runes within the books, only angels can read them."

Sheena suddenly gasped lightly and coughed a few times. She raised her head up and laid it down on the table. She waved her right hand at the two men and said, "I'm okay, I'm okay. Man I hate being sick."

The angels said nothing for a moment before continuing on. "Well," Lloyd started, "have you guys found anything interesting yet?"

Kratos turned to his son and nodded. "Yes, actually. Yesterday, I found a book that explained, in detail, some of the demons of the ancient world. Zelos and Colette are currently explaining the most important parts to Raine in hopes that she might be able to understand some of this. All we have to do now is wa-"

A knock came at the door. "Kratos?" asked Raine softly from the other side of the door. "Are Lloyd and Sheena up yet? We finally have some answers."

Kratos nearly ran to the door and immediately opened it, letting Raine in. "So we have the right book?"

She nodded to him and noticed that Lloyd and Sheena were sitting at the table. "Oh, you're awake! I'm glad to see that you're o-… Sheena, are you okay? You look deathly pale."

Lloyd spoke in her place. "She's just sick. Kratos thinks it's the lingering effects of the wound she suffered from the Devil Arms."

She walked over to Sheena and kneeled down next to her chair. "Sheena, are you ok enough to attend a meeting with us?"

Sheena looked up at her and nodded slowly. "Y-yeah. I want to know what's going on around here. I can always rest later."

"Well said," said Kratos. He turned to Raine and asked, "Where are we having the meeting?"

"The schoolhouse," she replied. "I have a chalkboard there we can use in case we need it. Lloyd, could you help Sheena over there?"

He nodded and helped her to her feet. Her right arm slung around his shoulders, the two young lovers slowly limped out of the house.

Kratos prepared to follow them as he asked, "The schoolhouse? Why would we need a chalk board?"

Raine smiled and walked out the door. "If I remember correctly, Lloyd, Colette, and Sheena are slow to catch on."

Kratos grinned. "Ah," he said as he walked outside. 

-

Lloyd and Sheena sat just behind Regal and Presea, who, they found out after having a brief conversation with them, had escaped the scourge of Niflheim when they fled from Altamira aboard their Rheiards with the visiting Genis and Raine in tow. Regal had told them that the other inhabitants of Altamira had escaped via a large number of water vessels in the direction of the Temple of Lightning. It was surrounded by a large dome of light and seemed to be as safe a place as any.

To their left sat Colette and Zelos and to their right was Genis. Kratos came in not long afterward and took a seat in the front-most row of chairs. Finally, Raine came here with a very ancient looking book in her hands. She set it down on her desk and wrote a single name on the board.

"Nebilim," she said without emotion. "This is the fiend which has plunged Symphonia into its current age of darkness." She wrote another word on the board. "Niflheim: this is the name given to the world of darkness created by Nebilim. We've all seen what Niflheim looks like, so I won't get into any details.

Several hushed whispers erupted from the small group as Raine continued. "As told to me by Kratos, Nebilim is the product of the Devil Arms and the Necronomicon, the ancient book of the dead. The powers of these weapons and this book were brought out by a powerful warrior named Abyssion, who was defeated by Kratos, Lloyd and Sheena."

Everyone looked over at Lloyd and Sheena and whispered a few words of praise. "However," she continued, "this battle gave the Devil Arms enough time to gather enough energy to "resurrect" Nebilim and thus bring him back to this world. Once back, he eluded further battle and immediately sought out an ancient book which housed Niflheim. After he broke the seal on the book, Niflheim became manifest upon the world."

"What does this mean exactly?" asked Regal. "What of our apparent sanctuary in Iselia?"

Raine held up a single finger. "I was about to get to that. Also, ours isn't the only safe haven." Raine picked up the chalk once more and drew (what looked like) a building with a dome over it. "According to the legends within this book…" She tapped on the book. "…when this happened several thousand years ago, the Summon Spirits of Symphonia created great domes of light which gave all those within the domes complete protection from the forces of Niflheim and Nebilim himself. In this today's case, there happens to be ten "safe havens". These domes seem to have about a one-mile radius, which is just wide enough to cover the entire village of Iselia if the starting point is the center of the Martel Temple."

"But sis," Genis started, "aren't there eleven spirit temples?"

Raine shook her head. "All though there are eleven temples, only ten of these offer protection from Niflheim. The exception is Shadow's Temple which is used as a base of sorts for Nebilim. Shadow's influence only protects the altar room of his temple and nothing more. However, all those years ago, Nebilim projected his own barrier around the temple in an attempt to keep out anyone without a dark heart. Nothing can pass through it, except…"

Presea stood up. "Except what, Professor Raine?"

Raine wrote two words on the board: "Angel Arms".

Several louder whispers erupted throughout the small classroom. "Angel Arms?" asked Lloyd. "What are those?" As he asked this, Sheena coughed a few more times. Lloyd locked hands with her and awaited Raine's answer.

She turned back around and looked directly at Lloyd. "Basically, they were the light's answer to the Devil Arms. Legend explains that nine angels wielded weapons of such incredible power that they were able to pass through the barrier with no problem what-so-ever and defeat Nebilim and thus seal his soul into the Necronomicon."

Sheena coughed again. "H-how do we get our hands on these weapons?"

Raine sat down in her own chair and sighed. "Apparently, each Angel Arm is specially made for each individual through a process that can only be carried out in the ancient city of the angels."

"Welgaia," said Kratos. "Correct?"

She nodded. "Correct. Since the weapons no longer exist, we would have to go to Welgaia and make the weapons ourselves."

Kratos lowered his head and whispered to himself, "So _that's_ what the room is for…"

Lloyd clenched his free hand into a fist. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's go to Welgaia and make those weapons!"

Raine shook her head sadly. "Besides the fact that we can no longer get to Welgaia from here, there's still a catch to forging the angel arms."

Lloyd tilted his head as he eased up his clenched hand and used it instead to cradle Sheena's head. "Eh? What's that?"

She sighed again and laid her head down on the desk. "Only angels can use them."

More whispers came amidst a number assorted sounds of disappointment. Kratos said nothing as he stood up and walked up to the chalkboard. He took the piece of chalk from Raine's hand and turned to the group of heroes.

"As it stands now, there are only four of us who are able to wield an angel arm, assuming we can find a way to get to Welgaia." Turning to the chalkboard, he wrote four names on the board: Lloyd, Kratos, Zelos, and Colette. He turned back to the party and said, "The way I see it, of these four, only two of us should go."

He first looked at Zelos. "Zelos, I mean no offense of any sort, but, given your current condition, there's no way that you can handle this. I-"

Zelos waved his good hand in front of him. "No Kratos, it's ok. You're absolutely right. I'm sorry that I couldn't be of help to you in the end." He lowered his head and Colette immediately held his good hand with both of her own.

Kratos closed his eyes for a moment. "It can't be helped. There's no need to apologize, Zelos." He opened his eyes and next looked at Colette. "Again, I mean no offense, but when you left our group prematurely, you missed quite possibly the best opportunity for you to gain more battle training. Also, your lack of recent fighting I believe has caused you to "lose your edge." I'm sorry."

Colette turned to Kratos and smiled. "I'm sorry Kratos. I really thought that, after Mithos was defeated by you guys, we could live in a peaceful world and that there was no need for me to fight anymore."

Unable to resist, he smiled back at the kindly angel and turned back to the board. He crossed out Zelos' and Colette's names and turned back to the party. "Obviously, this leaves only Lloyd and myself to carry this out."

Raine looked up from her desk and shook her head fiercely. "Absolutely not! It took nine angels thousands of years ago to defeat Nebilim. How can you hope to do the same with only two!"

Sheena looked down as she heard this. Suddenly, she felt enormous amounts of pain shooting throughout her entire body. She said nothing, but Lloyd could see the pain she was in as clear as day. "Sheena?" he whispered.

Kratos looked out of the window close to the east wall of the building. "We have to try. Would you rather live in a world like this? Look at the sky, Raine. It's not the sky we once knew. It may look the same, but it's not. What about the other people of the world? We're lucky that Iselia is so close to one of the temples. Think of towns like Triet that had to travel some distance to reach their temple. They more than likely have meager supplies of food and water and other such things. Although our protection may last forever and we could pretend that Nebilim and Niflheim don't exist, think of all of those who are suffering because of our inactivity."

Raine stared blankly at Kratos, unsure of what to say. "Kratos, I… I'm sorry. I'm just worried about the two of you."

Sheena sat up slowly, doing her best to remain upright. "T-the three of us, professor. I'm going with them."

Hearing this, everyone in the room turned towards her, instantly making her the center of attention.

Genis shook his head. "Sheena, just how sick are you? Raine just got done telling us that only angels can do this."

Lloyd nodded. "That's right. I wish you could come with us Sheena, but-"

"Augh!" screamed Sheena as she fell from her chair and rolled on the floor. Everyone immediately emerged from their seats and crowded around her.

Lloyd immediately hit the ground and cradled Sheena in his arms. "Sheena! What's wrong? You have to tell us or we can't help you?"

In the corner of the room, the only person that hadn't budged, Kratos, had said nothing as the whole ordeal was taking place. He had been thinking of Sheena's strange illness all morning and thought that he may have figured out what was wrong with Sheena. "I can only hope that I'm right," he said, whispering to himself.

Sheena took a few very deep breaths and slowly sat up. "Everyone, t-there's something I have to tell you." With a little help from Lloyd, she managed to stand up and, despite protests from her lover, managed to walk to the front of the classroom with no assistance form anyone. She closed her eyes and took a few more deep breaths. "No turning back now," she told herself. "I have to tell them now."

Everyone watched her as she stood in front of the room. She opened her eyes and a very soft, purple glow began to surround her body. "Everyone, I don't know quite how to put this, so I'm just going to show you. I… I'm not sure how this happened, but…" A few tears streaked down her soft cheek as she did her best to stop herself from crying. "I hope none of you think any differently of me after this."

Lloyd, ignoring the glow, asked, "Sheena, what are you tal-"

Sheena spread her arms outward a bright flash filled the entire room. Once the light dimmed back down to normal levels, everyone opened their once blinded eyes to see Sheena with purple, spectral wings flapping very slowly behind her back. She lowered her head seemingly in shame as everyone in the room gasped with surprise, save for Kratos.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Zelos.

"Sheena, you're… an angel?" asked Lloyd.

Colette smiled warmly. "Your wings are so beautiful!"

Sheena wiped the tears from her eyes and turned her back to them, the color in her face slowly returning as she did so. "Please don't stare at me! I didn't ask to be like this!"

Lloyd immediately ran to her front side and held her hands gently. "Sheena, why does it matter if you're an angel or not? It doesn't change anything. I… I still love you, and I'm sure no one thinks less of you."

Sheena looked up at Lloyd with those kind eyes of hers and sniffled. "I-I'm sorry Lloyd. I mean no offense to any of our angelic friends, but… when I see these wings, I think of all the terrible things Cruxis did. It makes me wonder: if I'm an angel, does that mean that maybe one of my parents was a member of Cruxis? I-I just don't know! I'm sorry!" She then threw her arms around Lloyd and sobbed uncontrollably. Her purple wings still flapped slightly as Lloyd brought out his own wings and wrapped his arms around his lover's waist.

Another hand touched Sheena's shoulder: Kratos'. Feeling this, she turned around to look at him. "Fear not Sheena, for I may know why this has happened to you."

She sniffled again as he continued. "There's two parts, the first of which is biological."

"So it's possible that my parents were angels?" she asked as she sobbed.

He shook his head. "I don't think so. I believe this came about as a result of the blood transfusion you received from Lloyd. His blood mixing with yours was perhaps enough to fulfill the biological half of this equation."

Several whispers came about once again. Lloyd rubbed the spot on his arm from which the blood had been drawn and Sheena rubbed the part of her side that had suffered that terrible wound caused by Abyssion.

"I made her an angel?" asked Lloyd, obviously surprised with what he just heard.

"Huh…" started Zelos. "Y'know Lloyd, that's kinda romantic if you think about it." Shortly afterward, Colette elbowed him in the side playfully.

"Partially," replied Kratos. "As I said, this is but one-half. As with all other angels, angelic biologies are not enough to cause the transformation. A significant personally spiritual event has to take place in order to trigger the transformation. In my case, it was when I became the seal for Origin. In Lloyd's case, it was when he became one with the Eternal Sword. Finally, in this case, my guess is that Sheena's pact-forming with Verius triggered her transformation."

Sheena wiped away her tears once again. "D-do you really think that's it?"

Kratos nodded. "I have good reason to believe so. The pieces seem to fit well enough."

Lloyd scratched his head. "I don't get it dad. You don't seem to be very surprised by any of this. How come?"

Kratos folded his arms. "I know Angelic Toxicosis when I see it. I witnessed many of the members of Cruxis suffer from the same effects."

Sheena smiled and her wings flapped slightly more quickly now. "Thank you Kratos. D-does this mean I can come with you two?"

He nodded. "Of course. We would be honored by your presence."

Regal raised a hand. "I do not mean to interrupt, but even if they can make a few of these Angel Arms now, how will they be able to get to Welgaia from here?"

Sheena turned to Regal and smiled proudly at him. "I think I've got that covered. Origin is the Summon Spirit of time and space, so maybe we can somehow get him to modify our Rheiards so that we can teleport between Symphonia and Welgaia."

Presea stepped toward Sheena. "But Sheena, will that work? If Origin is currently protecting the Ymir and Torrent Forests, will you even be able to summon him?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure, but it's worth a sho-ugh!" She grabbed her stomach again and Lloyd swooped down, ready to catch her in case she fell.

"Sheena! Take it easy! You're probably still sick from the Toxicosis," said Lloyd. "You need to rest."

"I concur," added Kratos. "Lloyd is still recovering from his wounds as well, so we could stand to stay here for at least another night."

Raine turned to them and nodded. "Yes Sheena. You should go ahead and get back in bed. Same for Lloyd. I'll be over to check up on you two in about an hour. I'm going to discuss a few other things with our friends here. Understood?"

The two lovers sighed. "Yes professor Raine," they said in unison, in a fashion similar to that of disappointed school-children.

"Professor?" asked Lloyd. "I'm not feeling as bad as her. I'm going to watch over her until you get back, ah, if that's ok."

Before she could answer, Kratos said, "Of course Lloyd. Try to make something warm for her to drink. Got it?"

His son nodded. "Got it. C'mon Sheena!" As the two slowly walked out of the schoolhouse, with Lloyd supporting Sheena, everyone could not help but smile at the beautiful couple.

-

My longest ToS chapter yet (4,000 words+)! Sure, it wasn't action packed like some of the others, but I hope I gave an adequate explanation for everything that is happening now. And how about Sheena being an angel? Ever since I did the blood transfusion bit way back in chapter 7, I had this planned out, heh. Hope my theory on angel transformations isn't too bad (if nothing else, consider it slightly A/U). We all know how Colette became one and, to a lesser extent, Lloyd. However, the process for everyone else was never explained, so… I thought I'd try this. Anyway, I think I'm gonna do some Lloyd and Sheena fluff in the next chapter. As always, thank you in advance for any and all reviews!


	13. Chicken Soup

A/N: I am SO sorry for going so long without an update! I wanted to take a short break from writing but I never intended for it to be this long! Hope y'all don't mind!

The world is in quite a dire situation now, huh? But as you have read, there is hope. Somewhere in Welgaia is a place where angels can forge the legendary Angel Arms, the light's answer to the Devil Arms. The last time someone went through all of this, it took nine angels to bring down Nebilim. Even with Sheena being an angel now, can our heroes win with only three angels on their side?

That will be answered at a later time, for now Sheena is recovering from her Angelic Toxicosis and needs some rest. Raine has volunteered to take care of her until she gets better, but until Raine can get there, Lloyd's going to watch over her. For those looking for fluff, you may be pleased with this chapter, but it probably won't be anything like Chapter 7, Through the Night. Anyways, as always, enjoy the chapter and thanks in advance for any and all reviews!

Chapter 13: Chicken Soup

The door to Colette's house swung open slowly as Lloyd helped Sheena inside. They walked to the base of the stairs and looked upward in disgust.

"Stairs," said Sheena with disgust. "I don't know if I can do stairs."

Without hesitation, Lloyd picked up his lover and cradled her in his arms much like a baby or sick child. "You can now. Let's go."

She smiled weakly. "Thank you Lloyd. You're a real sweetheart." She closed her eyes and allowed herself to be carried upward.

Once at the top, Lloyd proceeded to seat her on the bed. He took a few steps back and said, "Go ahead and get ready for bed. I'm gonna go fix you something that will hopefully make you feel a little better. Is that alright?"

She nodded. "Alright Lloyd. Thanks again."

He flashed a smile at her and walked back downstairs. Once down, he sat on the floor in front of one of the cabinets, opened it up, and began rummaging through it.

"Hmm, where is it? I'm sure she has some left somewhere. She loves that stuff. It's not like her to not have any on hand." He kept pulling out several jars and cans of food that Colette had prepared and stored away for future use and setting them on the floor. Everything could be found here, from pre-sugared fruits to pickled vegetables, but he could not find the ones thing he was looking for. As he was about to go through the last few jars left in the cabinet, he heard a knock at the door.

Lloyd felt perfectly fine with saying, "Come in," despite the fact that this house was not even his. At his behest, the door opened and several heavy footsteps were heard. Lloyd didn't pay attention to the person who walked in as e continued his search.

"Lloyd!" said a gruff voice. "Is this how you greet your guests?"

Lloyd's eyes widened and he immediately stopped his search as he pulled his head from the cabinet to look at his visitor.

"Dad! You're okay!" exclaimed Lloyd. Sure enough, there stood Dirk with what appeared to be a few cooking ingredients in his hands. He ran over and hugged the dwarf tightly. He felt ashamed that, during the events of the past few days, he hadn't thought of Dirk even once. He was always too concerned with Sheena to care much about anyone else, Kratos and Dirk included. That didn't matter now though. He was just glad to see that his foster-father was alive and well.

"Whoa, easy there Lloyd," said the dwarf with a hearty chuckle. "You're a wee bit strong for even me these days."

Lloyd eased up a bit, initially unaware of how much strength he had been using. "Dad, how did you make it to the village? There are demons all over the place out of the safe zones."

"Easy," said Dirk matter-of-factly. "The safe zone was just wide enough to cover the house and that path through the hills to Iselia that we haven't taken in a while. I just hopped on Noishe and thought I'd come ride out this Niflheim business with all of you."

Lloyd scratched his head. "Dad, I won't be here too much longer."

Dirk nodded. "I know. I stopped by the schoolhouse before coming over here. They told me I had just missed you and gave me the gist of what was going on. I hear you, Sheena, and your father are going to Welgaia once Sheena's better. After that… it's off to actually fight Nebilim, huh?"

Lloyd nodded slowly. "Yeah, that's right. We have to at least try, even if the odds are against."

The old dwarf grinned. "I know Lloyd. I'm not going to try and stop you. In fact, it may not be much, but I actually came over to help you." He set his ingredients on the counter and pulled a tea kettle out of one of the other cabinets.

Puzzled, Lloyd asked, "Help? How?"

Without looking, Dirk replied, "Remember that Cherry Spice tea I used to make for you when you were sick?"

He nodded. "Sure do. Tastes good and it always made me feel better."

"Well," started Dirk, "I'm going to make some for that young lass upstairs. Who knows? Maybe it'll even lessen the burden caused by her Toxicosis. Worth a shot anyway."

Lloyd sat back down on the floor and continued his search. "Great idea dad! Now if I can just fi-… oh hey! Here's a jar!" He stood back up with what appeared to be a jar of homemade chicken soup. "Last jar. Lucky me."

As Dirk prepared the tea, he looked over at the jar. "Ah, Colette's famous soup. Frank used to make that for Colette when she was sick too. Ever since he taught her how to make it, it's only gotten better and better. Add the tea, and Sheena's in for quite a treat, sick or not."

As the two prepared their own respective things, they made small talk and Lloyd talked a bit about some of their non-Abyssion or Nebilim exploits. Fifteen minutes passed, and a tray was prepared with a steaming bowl of soup and tea kettle along with two cups, a spoon, and a napkin.

"All set, Lloyd," said Dirk. "Just take this on up and spend some time with Sheena. Just you being there will probably do more for her than the soup or tea will ever do."

Lloyd's face turned a bright red. "Dad!"

The dwarf laughed. "No time for that, for I must be off. I'm gonna find the rest of your friends and see if I can make myself useful. I'll catch you again before you leave, eh?"

His adopted son nodded. "Sure thing dad. Take it easy."

Dirk let himself out of the house as Lloyd made his way back upstairs. He found Sheena in bed, wearing her white bedtime kimono. Smiling, he set the tray down on the nightstand next to her and pulled up a chair for himself to her bed.

"How ya doin' Sheena? I brought you a little something. Thought it might make you feel better," said Lloyd as he poured the first cup of tea. "Little bit o' Colette's famous chicken soup and my dad's Cherry Spice tea." He handed her the first cup as he poured another one for himself.

She smiled warmly at him. "Thank you Lloyd." She took her first sip and paused as her eyes widened a bit. She slowly put the cup back down, turned to him, and said, "Lloyd, this is the best tea I've ever had! You've got to show me how to make it sometime!"

"Haha. I'm glad that you like it. My dad used to make it for me when I was sick," he said. "Try some of the soup next. I guarantee that you'll love it.

She did so and had a very similar reaction. "Mmm! You said Colette made this? Remind me to compliment her later!"

As she ate, the two shared some small talk, doing their best to somewhat make light of the worldwide situation at hand. It would do them no good to worry about it now, given their current conditions. Nothing could be done until they returned from Welgaia, fully assuming that they would be able to successfully forge the Angel Arms.

Finishing her soup, she set the bowl and spoon aside and wiped her mouth with the napkin he Lloyd had brought for her. "That was delicious Lloyd. Could I please have another cup of that tea?"

He answered her request by pouring the last of the tea into both of their cups. "Good stuff, isn't it?"

She nodded and began sipping once again. "Sure is. Thanks again for bringing all of this to me. It's so sweet of you."

They sat silently for a moment and looked into their cups. They were thinking the same thing: no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't ignore the fact that soon pleasant times such as these may come to an end. Once she was better, they'd have to begin their quest to stop Nebilim. The odds for success seemed next to impossible, but if they didn't do something, who knows what would happen to the world?

"So… once I'm on my feet again, we have to go to Welgaia, huh?" Sheena half-asked.

Lloyd nodded. "Seems that way. I wonder what the forging of the Angel Arms involves. It's something that hasn't been done in… heck, who knows how long? Kratos said this was even before his time."

Sheena swirled the last of her tea around in her cup and looked down. "I'm scared Lloyd. Even with these Angel Arms, it doesn't look like we have much of a chance. I thought Abyssion was tough, but-"

"We defeated him, didn't we?" asked Lloyd.

"Huh? Well, yea of course. That's why were still sitting here today," she replied.

He took a last sip of his tea and put the cup down. "When we beat Abyssion, we didn't have Angel Arms or anything like that. All we had was each other, yet we still came out on top, battered but victorious."

Sheena took another sip. "But Verius was the one who destroyed Abyssion. Not us per se."

He shook his head. "That's not true Sheena. From what I understand, Verius is powerless by himself. In fact, he's the weakest of the Summon Spirits. However, when he combined together with you and then me, we had enough power to defeat Abyssion. Basically, we had the power in us all along. Verius was just like a… ah… what was the word my dad used? Catalyst? Yeah, Verius was the catalyst that enabled us to release our inner strength and win."

She blinked in surprise. "Wow Lloyd. I never expected you to say something like that."

With a cocky smile, Lloyd brushed some of his hair aside. "Heh. I'm not as dumb as everyone thinks. Sometimes, anyway. I guess I have my moments. Like Genis said once, "It's times like these when Lloyd's brain kicks into gear." I guess this is one of those times."

She giggled and he laughed with her. "So anyway, back to being serious. Yeah, Nebilim may be far stronger than Abyssion, but so are we. At least, we will be once we return from Welgaia. We'll have Verius, the Angel Arms, and my dad to lead us to victory. We just have to believe in ourselves. Everyone is counting on us, y'know?"

Sheena finished off her tea and set down the cup. "Thank you Lloyd. I feel much better now. But you know, Dirk was right. You did more to make me feel better than event his delicious soup and tea did."

Lloyd turned a bright read and rubbed his head. "Ah, hehe. That's nice of you to say. Hey, wait a minute. How did you know that dad said that?"

She grinned. "I heard the two of you talking."

Now more embarrassed than before, Lloyd shrank in his seat. "Gah. How do you always hear me?"

She giggled again but coughed shortly afterward. "Bleh. Hasn't even been two hours yet and I already feel like I've had this Toxicosis for a month now. How did Colette make it through this?"

Lloyd forced her to lay back on her pillow. "Hey now, take it easy. You're going to need all of your strength later. We can always talk another time. Alright?"

She looked disappointed, but said, "Alright Lloyd" in her best "Yes Mother" tone.

He stood up and tucked her in, much like a child. "Raine should be up in just a minute. She'll take care of you while I get some rest too. Don't wanna be a burden on you guys once we're ready to go."

He turned to walk away but stopped dead in his tracks when he heard Sheena say, "Lloyd?"

He turned around and asked, "Yes?"

Her face turned red as she asked, "Um… will you stay with me until I fall asleep? I promise it won't take me long."

He nodded. "Sure thing Sheena." He sat back down in his chair and pulled one of her hands out from under the covers, holding it gently as he did so. "There now. Sorry about that."

She smiled weakly as her eyes slowly closed. She wasn't kidding when she said she wouldn't take long to fall asleep, for, not even one minute after he sat back down, she was already asleep. Still holding her hand, he stood up and leaned down to kiss her on the lips.

"Sweet dreams Sheena." He was ready to put her hand back under the covers but when he looked down at her beautiful face again, he just couldn't do it. Instead, he gently moved the chair aside and sat on the floor next to her bed. Still holding her hand, he laid his head against the bed and closed his eyes.

A few moments later, footsteps were heard coming up the stairs. Raine could be heard saying, "I'm sorry to keep you waiting guys. We had to-"

She walked in the room to find that, not only Sheena, but Lloyd, were fast asleep. She was supposed to perform some routine medical checks on both of them but, from just looking at them, she could tell it wasn't necessary enough to wakeful them from their slumbering bliss.

She smiled. "You know, I think you guys had this planned from the beginning just to avoid a doctor's visit," she said to herself jokingly. She walked out of the room and back downstairs as quietly as possible. "Sweet dreams you two."

Not too bad, eh? I hope not anyway. Our heroes are doing their best to enjoy themselves and rest while they can, despite their injuries and illnesses, knowing full well that a trip to Welgaia and a battle with Nebilim are looming just around the corner. Will they be able to create the means necessary to defeat Nebilim in Welgaia? Find out next time! Again, I'm really sorry for the late update and thanks in advance for any and all reviews.

Sidenote: If anyone cares, I originally planned on naming this chapter "Chicken Soup for the Summoner's Soul" as a joke but decided against it 


	14. City of Angels

A/N: After a greatly needed night of rest, our heroes seem to be ready to head to Welgaia. What awaits them there? Can the legendary Angel Arms really be forged there?

Time for "Respond to the Readers"!

Concerning turning everyone into angels: Don't worry, I'm not gonna do that. According to my theory, even if everyone got the necessary blood transfusions from any of the current angels, they would still have to satisfy the second condition of becoming an angel: undergoing a spiritually significant event.

Concerning being added to a couple more favorites lists: Aww shucks

As always, thanks again for any and all reviews. I'm doing my best to be more regular with my updates (sorry again for the lateness of that last chapter!)

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Chapter 14: City of Angels

As Lloyd finished setting up the last of the three Rheiards, Kratos and the others discussed things such as what those staying behind should do in case of an emergency and such. Everything was set to go now. All Lloyd and Kratos were waiting on now was Sheena, who was still in Colette's house, getting ready for the trip to Welgaia. There was no denying that there was a mixed feeling of anxiety and nervousness in the air as everyone wondered what would result from the trip to Welgaia. All everyone could hope to do was hope that the legends of the Angel Arms held true.

"…and that should be it," said Kratos, finishing his lecture to those staying behind. "Does everyone understand?"

They all nodded, each uttering their own affirmative responses as they did so.

Kratos nodded, satisfied. "Good. As soon as Sheena is ready, we'll-"

The door of Colette's house swung wide open and through it came Sheena, looking as healthy and fresh as ever. "I'm ready guys. Sorry for making you wait."

"…then we'll leave," finished Kratos. He looked over at Lloyd. "How are the Rheiards, Lloyd?"

Lloyd gave his father a thumbs-up. "All set dad. We can leave at any time."

Kratos nodded and mounted one of the Rheiards. "Then let us make haste to Welgaia."

Following Kratos' example, Sheena and Lloyd each boarded their own Rheiards. Once on board, Sheena performed several kata and whispered to herself. Finally, she threw a card down on the ground and yelled, "I summon thee! Come, Origin!"

Origin appeared in all his glory and folded his arms as he always did. "What is your wish, Grand Summoner Sheena?"

She looked up at the magnificent king of the summon spirits. "Origin, please alter our Rheiards so that we may travel to Welgaia."

A bright flash of light emanated from the Rheiards and quickly diminished. "It is done. I shall take my leave if I am no longer needed."

She nodded to him. "That is all. Thank you Origin."

With that, the king of the summon spirits vanished. The heroes nodded to each other.

"And we're off!" said Lloyd as he pushed what was once the dimensional warp button."

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Seeing a group of not only three strange machines but three people riding them appearing seemingly out of thin air was certainly not common to the angels of Welgaia. Even when they found out later just who the people were, they still could not believe that they had actually found a way to return to Welgaia. Amidst a sea of staring angels, the heroes dismounted their Rheiards.

"They look surprised to see us," observed Sheena.

Kratos nodded. "Naturally. They most likely thought that they would never see us again, for better or for worse."

Lloyd tilted his head. "For better or worse? How do you think they feel about us?"

Kratos shook his head. "I'm not sure. My belief is that, with the destruction of the Exspheres, while some may still bear some resentment, most will at least acknowledge us in a positive way. There shouldn't be any need to worry about running into trouble. Besides, we will only be here a short while if everything goes well."

"You mean with the Angel Arms?" asked Lloyd.

"Hmm," replied Kratos affirmatively.

As Lloyd turned around to put the Rheiards back in their wing pack, a rather handsome looking angel emerged from the gathering of angels. He glided over to Kratos and bowed.

"Hail, and well met, Lord Kratos," said the angel. "We thought that we would never see you again."

Kratos offered a slight bow back to the angel. "Indeed. Your assumption perhaps would've remained true if Symphonia was not in the state that it is now."

The angel nodded. "Yes, we've been able to see what's been going on so far. This Nebilim… I have never seen a being as powerful as he is. Not even Lord Mithos could've stopped him." It was at this point that he finally took notice of the two young warriors standing behind Kratos. "I see you have brought friends with you Kratos. Would you be so kind as to introduce me to them?"

Kratos turned back to his son and his lover. "Ah yes, my apologies. Calvo, this is my son, Lloyd and the lovely lady next to him is Grand Summoner Sheena. Lloyd, Sheena, this is Calvo, second-in-command of the angels of Welgaia."

Several hushed whispers erupted through the crowd of gathered angels. Calvo took a step back. "Lloyd and Sheena! The heroes who defeated Lord Mithos!"

Lloyd and Sheena were unsure of what to think when they heard Calvo said this. It became apparent that they were happy with the deed when every single angel around them kneeled before them. "Whoa. What's going on here?" asked Lloyd, confused as usual.

Calvo looked up at them. "Thanks to you, Lady Sheena, and Lord Kratos, Lord Mithos' madness was put to an end and he was finally able to accomplish what he had been working for for so long."

"What was that?" asked Sheena.

"Simply put, he's with Martel now," answered Kratos.

Calvo nodded. "That's correct. Ever since then, under the leadership of Lord Yuan, we've been able to begin the rebuilding of the angelic civilization. It is all thanks to the heroic actions of you three."

Sheena blushed and partly turned away. Lloyd grinned nervously and ran his hand through his hair. "Ah, haha… it was nothing."

"Speaking of Yuan," started Kratos, "I wish to see him as soon as possible. Could you please take me to him?"

"Lord Yuan?" Calvo stood up and looked downward. "Ah, he's… he won't be able to see you right now. He's, ah… rather busy at the moment. All of his efforts have been directed at protecting Welgaia from Nebilim's influence."

This caught even Lloyd's attention. "Nebilim's influence? Isn't Welgaia in space right now? How can he have any affect on this place?"

Calvo turned to the young hero with a frown. "I beg your pardon, young Lloyd, but I'm afraid that you are grossly underestimating Nebilim's power. His power is slowly growing, even as we speak. Even as Welgaia and Derris-Kharlan float away from Symphonia, his power has already caught up to us and, if it were not for Lord Yuan, we might have already been already overrun by demons. If he is not stopped on Symphonia, it could mean the end for, not only your planet, but for any other land that lies beyond the stars."

Lloyd scratched his head. "Whoa. Scary stuff. Talk about pressure."

Kratos shook his head. "All the same, I would still like to see Yuan."

Calvo did the best he could to change the subject. "You've come to see if the Eternal Door can be opened, correct? Please follow me. I shall take you there." He began to walk away but didn't get very far before Kratos spoke again."

"Calvo, why do you refuse to take me to Yuan?" asked Kratos.

Calvo said nothing and continued to walk.

"Calvo!" yelled Kratos. "I demand that you take us to see Yuan, now!"

Calvo turned back to Kratos, a look of sadness in his eyes. "It is not possible to see Lord Yuan right now."

"Why not?" asked Sheena.

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The door to a small room opened up and the four angels walked inside. In the middle of the room, there was what appeared to be a hibernation chamber with what appeared to be a large machine connected to it. The heroes looked at the chamber with puzzled looks on their faces. 

Kratos turned to Calvo and asked, "Calvo, why have you brought us here?"

Calvo looked Kratos dead in the eyes. "You wanted to see Lord Yuan, correct?" He turned back to the chamber and pointed to it. "Well, here he is."

Kratos looked at the chamber, then back at Calvo, who merely nodded. Slowly, he made his way over to the chamber, both unsure of what he was going to see, and unsure if he actually wanted to see it. Once at the chamber, he took a deep breath and looked inside. Inside, Yuan could be seen, sleeping soundly.

"What the…" Kratos turned back to Calvo who was already making his way over with Lloyd and Sheena. "What is the meaning of this?"

Calvo put a hand on the cold glass of Yuan's chamber. "Welgaia has access to what we call a mana battery. Long ago, this battery was used to power a number of magitechnology-powered defenses. To power the mana battery, it requires… a living being."

Kratos couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had never known about the existence of such a device. "A living being?"

Calvo nodded. "It draws mana from the body in order power the body. This in turn slowly kills said living being. This hibernation chamber was later installed in order to slow the "killing process". In any case, the more powerful the being, the longer it takes… for them to die." He looked through the glass at Yuan's emotionless face. "Even if we should emerge victorious before Lord Yuan dies, he will never be the same again."

Overcome with anger, Kratos couldn't help but pound a metallic part of the chamber. "Damnit Yuan! It should've been me!"

"But…" started Sheena, "Why did he do it?"

Calvo turned to the summoner. "Don't you understand? The only thing that is protecting Welgaia from Nebilim's influence is the barrier projected by Lord Yuan's life force. Many of us volunteered to take his place, but he wouldn't have it. He said it was his duty to protect us and Welgaia from harm."

Lloyd closed his eyes. "Yuan…"

Calvo put his hand on Kratos' shoulder. "Lord Yuan knew that you would come. "If anyone can open the Eternal Door, it's Kratos," is what he said before he put himself in the chamber. He asked me to take you to the Eternal Door."

Both Lloyd and Sheena put their hands on the powerful angels other shoulder. "Dad?" asked Lloyd.

Kratos, finally beginning to calm down, composed himself and looked once more at Yuan. "I know, I know. Let's go."

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"This is it," said Calvo as the four angels stood before a massive door. "Beyond this door is another room that houses the Eternal Door. According to legend, it hasn't been opened in well over five-thousand years."

Kratos nodded. "Alright then. Thank you Calvo."

The angel began to walk away. "I wish you luck, heroes of Symphonia and Welgaia."

Kratos looked to his two companions. "Let us not waste any time. Let's go."

They opened the large door which, just as Calvo said, led to another room with a very impressive looking and very massive door on the other end of it. After taking a few steps forward, the door behind them closed and the room began to darken.

"Wah!" exclaimed Lloyd. "What the heck is going on here?"

Sheena looked around. "What's happening to the light?"

"Welcome, angels of Symphonia," said an echoing voice from seemingly nowhere.

"Who's there?" asked Lloyd. "Show yourself!"

Kratos put a hand on his son's shoulder. "Calm down. He's not an enemy."

"Times are dire indeed, if these doors are to be opened again," said the voice. "For five-thousand years, we have watched Symphonia from afar, hoping that we would never again see Nebilim or the Devil Arms. However, now that he is once again manifest upon your world, there is no choice but to fight him once again."

Sheena stepped forward. "And that's why we're here. We come in hopes of creating the Angel Arms so that we can destroy him, once and for all."

The voice echoed again. "I see. You are indeed brave, but your numbers are few. You are but one third of the heroes who accomplished the same task so long ago. Are you sure you want this burden placed upon your small shoulders?"

Lloyd closed his eyes. "We know our odds aren't good, but we have to try anyway. If we planned on not trying at all, we would've never come here in the first place. Yes, we are sure."

"Well said, young hero," said the voice. With that comment, the massive doors slowly opened, revealing nothing but complete darkness ahead of them. "Now… enter. Enter and fulfill your destiny as the true champions of Symphonia." The voice faded and died away.

"…no time to waste. Let's go," said Kratos as he marched forward, with a wordless Sheena and Lloyd following close behind.

They walked into the darkness and watched as the dim lights behind them slowly vanished due to the slow closing of the Eternal Door.

"Whoa, sure is dark in here," said Lloyd. "Stay close to me, okay Sheena?"

No response. "Sheena?"

Still no response. "Sheena? Where are you?" He brought his red wings into existence to light the area around him. Even when he did, neither Sheena nor Kratos could be seen?

"Sheena? Dad?" asked Lloyd nervously as he looked around him. "Where are you guys?"

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Indeed, where is everyone? Due to a heroic sacrifice by Yuan, Welgaia will remain protected from Nebilim for quite some time. Even if the heroes should win, will it be in time to save Yuan? Before any of that can come, they must first forge the angel arms of legend. Will they be able to do it? Stay tuned! Sorry for the late update, but the next three chapters, although short, will come in fairly short order. Thanks in advance for any and all revews!

Also, if any of my readers are at all interested in Star Ocean and would like to read an original story concerning it, please check out my grand project, "Star Ocean: Forever and Beyond". I've put hours of planning into this one, but I'm lacking in reviews. I ask you to please check it out and let me know what you think, should you be interested. Thanks in advance!


	15. Starry Heavens: Kratos

A/N: Okay, as I said before, these next 3 chapters will be short, but they are meant to be. Each one will highlight exactly what happened to everyone once they went through the Eternal Door. First up: Kratos.

As always, thanks for all of the overly-kind reviews. On with the show!

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Chapter 15: Starry Heavens: Kratos

"Lloyd!" yelled Kratos as he walked about in total darkness. "Sheena! Where are you?"

All of this began to worry Kratos. They had come to Welgaia to forge the Angel Arms, but, instead, they were all separated somehow and plunged into darkness. How was one supposed to forge legendary weapons with conditions like these?

Kratos stopped and brought out his wings, hoping to light up the area in doing so, but had no such luck. "Damnit. What the hell am I supposed to do now?"

"Rest easy, hero," said an echoing voice from seemingly nowhere.

Kratos looked all around him. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

"Worry not, for I am not your enemy," said the voice. "I am one who is bound to the creation process of the Angel Arms."

Kratos eased up a bit. "Alright then, what has happened to my son and the Grand Summoner?"

"You need not worry about them, for they too are also creating their own Angel Arms," said the voice. "I assure you that they are perfectly safe."

Kratos folded his arms, still unsure of what to make of the situation at hand. "I see… so you're here to help me forge my own Angel Arm?"

"Ah…" started the voice. "Your legends may be slightly misleading."

"Misleading?" asked Kratos.

The room began to softly illuminate as the entire space around him was filled with a beautiful scene of space, complete with stars and distant galaxies. The voice continued. "Slightly, yes. Although the weapons are created, they aren't made in the same way as the people of Symphonia are used to. You see, the Angel arms aren't so much a weapon as they are… well… a new you."

Even Kratos was confused by this. "A new me? What do you mean?"

A small ball of light emerged seemingly from the backdrop of stars and began to circle around Kratos' head. Its "body" pulsated as it spoke again. "I mean exactly that: a new you. No mere weapon will be enough to defeat a being as powerful as Nebilim. More than anything, a strong body, a stronger mind, and an even stronger spirit will be required. The Angel Arms are created to help bolster these three parameters that make up a living being, thus creating a new you."

Kratos closed his eyes and brought his hand to his chin. "So it's something like a transformation?"

The ball of light hovered up and down, as if it was trying to nod. "More or less. It "awakens" long-dormant power within angels, much like what the Devil Arms do for those who possess them. Since humans and other "mortal" beings do not possess this kind of dormant power, it is for this reason that true Angels can create their own Angel Arm. Do you understand?"

He nodded. "Yes, I think so. How do I create it though?"

"With your very soul," said the voice.

"But how?" asked Kratos again.

He received no response as he watched the small ball of light fade away slowly.

"Stop!" yelled Kratos vainly. His shout was heard by no one and, once again, he was alone.

"Damnit," said Kratos as watched the area that the light had faded into. "With my soul? How am I supposed to do that?"

"Hmph!" Why don't you use that brain of yours that you just _love_ showing off all the time?" said a familiar voice.

Kratos quickly whirled around and was, to say the least, very surprised to see Lloyd standing there, his arms folded and looking far more cocky than usual.

Kratos took a step forward. "Lloyd? There you are! Did you manage to create your Angel Arm?"

Lloyd shrugged. "What if I did? Is the mighty Kratos going to actually ask his "moronic" son of all people to help him figure it out?"

Kratos was puzzled. He had never seen Lloyd act like this before. "Moronic? Who called you moronic?"

Lloyd pointed directly at his father. "You did, through your actions. Don't you remember?"

Kratos shook his head. "Lloyd I don-"

Lloyd threw his arms outward. "Don't even try to lie to me! Ever since we first "met" back at the temple, every time I suggested anything, you would act as if it was the worst idea in the world. Always treating me like I was some five-year-old kid or something! I hated that! No one's perfect, y'know? Why couldn't you just accept me for who I was, huh! You did all of this knowing full-well that I was your son. How could you do this to me?"

Kratos couldn't believe his ears. He took another step backward. "Lloyd I-"

"You're wasting your time Lloyd," said another familiar voice. "He _is_ a traitor after-all. Why should it come as any surprise that he would treat his own son like dirt?"

Kratos whirled around once again and, with even more surprise than before, saw Sheena standing before him. What made this even more surprising was the fact that, instead of her normal traveling outfit, she was wearing a very beautiful white wedding dress, complete with a veil. "Sheena?"

Bouquet of flowers in hand, she waved it around as she said, "I can't believe you Kratos! You traveled with Lloyd and his friends for so long, myself for a shorter time, only to turn around and backstab us in the end! You claim to care for your son, but, at the Tower of Salvation, you were prepared to idly stand-by whilst you watched Mithos kill him and the rest of us! If it weren't for Botta, we… we…"

She put her head in her hands and Lloyd immediately rushed over to her, now dressed in a fine white with black trim tuxedo. He held her close to his chest as she sobbed softly. "Don't think about it Sheena. The important thing is that we're alive and well now. We don't have to worry about Kratos anymore."

Eyes filled with tears, she looked up at him as he continued. "We've got a wonderful future ahead of us. Marriage, kids, our own home, and so many other great things are waiting for us. We'll work to build a future where we won't have to worry about him anymore. How does that sound?"

Kratos looked down at what he thought was the ground and closed his eyes. "An illusion, just like Welgaia. It has to be. And yet… and yet this feels far more real than what Mithos produced for us in Welgaia. Maybe it is real… no! It can't be! Have I really been this terrible of a man?"

Lloyd and Sheena shared a kiss and began to walk down what appeared to be an aisle between several rows of church benches, upon which were seated all of his other party members and several other people they had met throughout the course of their travels. Kratos just couldn't let this happen without being able to say something. Anything!

"Lloyd! Sheena! Please wait!" he cried as he started to run towards them.

They turned back around and Sheena immediately clung closer to Lloyd. "Stay away Kratos! We don't want you to be in our new life!"

Lloyd held Sheena tightly and shook the fist of his free arm at Kratos. "If I had been just a little stronger at the Tower of Salvation, I would've torn you limb from limb for doing what you did and hurting Sheena in the process! I never want to see you again! Father or not, if I ever see your face again…"

Lloyd was cut off by Sheena pulling him down the aisle. "C'mon Lloyd! Everyone's waiting for us!"

Hesitantly, Lloyd turned away from his father and walked down the aisle with his wife-to-be. They didn't turn back even once.

"No… no… no…" whispered Kratos to himself as he watched the scene through watery eyes. "I've lost my only son? This just can't be real!" He began to run towards the church scene once again. "Lloyd! Sheena! Please forgive me!"

The two lovers continued to walk even as their friends in the audience turned around and began throwing assorted objects at Kratos.

"Hey old man!" yelled Zelos. "Don't you understand "Stay away"?"

"Get lost, creep!" yelled Genis.

"You're a horrible man!" cried Colette.

Raine threw nothing but looked more disgusted than anyone else. "Traitor!"

Regal jumped into the middle of the aisle and yelled, "You shall not disturb our friends ever again!"

"Go away!" cried Presea. "We hate you!"

Assorted other boos and hisses erupted from the other people in the small audience as Kratos slowly backed away. "Unbelievable… I don't want to believe this!" he yelled as he fell to his knees, feeling more helpless and alone than ever before.

"What makes the whole traitor business even worse is the fact that you can't even decide on a single side to work for," said yet another familiar voice. "Pitiful."

Without getting up, Kratos slowly turned his head in the direction of the voice. It was Mithos. Not Lord Yggdrasil, but the child-like Mithos that Kratos had known for four-thousand years. "Mithos? Why… how are you here? Aren't you-"

"Dead?" Mithos shook his head. "Only in their world, but that doesn't matter now. Tell me Kratos… you went to great lengths to do everything you could to help me in my quest to revive Martel. You even went as far as betraying your own son and his friends. All this… only to betray me later. Me! Someone who had remained your friend for four-thousand years! Just whose side are you on anyway, traitor? Hmm?"

Whose side was he on? It seemed like such a simple question. Yet, for some reason, Kratos could not answer it.

"Gah! Why am I being tormented like this!" cried Kratos as he grabbed his head in pain.

Mithos folded his arms behind his back and floated a bit upwards. "It's really not that hard. All you have to do is make a choice. In the end, who do you truly decide to side with: Me or them?"

Kratos began looking back and forth as Mithos continued. "Simple, no? You're a traitor, and yet I will still take you in. We're friends, right? They won't even give you the time of day now. You can't become a part of their lives. Why bother with a lost cause?"

Kratos looked up at his former companion and stared at him long and hard. "Why?"

Mithos nodded. "Exactly. Why?"

Kratos closed his eyes. "Because…" he stood up and took a deep breath. "Because… he's my son and that is going to be his wife!" He began to run towards the church scene once again."

The stars behind Mithos twinkled brightly as he yelled after him. "You fool! They'll never forgive you!"

"I don't care!" yelled Kratos as he ran. "I'd give up everything I have left for them! My life included!"

Mithos continued to yell after Kratos, but he didn't hear a single word of it. He had reached the beginning of the church aisle but not without being noticed by Lloyd and Sheena's friends.

"You again?" said Genis. "Go away!"

Once again, they began to throw assorted objects at him, some of which struck him in the face, causing considerable pain and leaving a number of various marks on his face. Despite this, Kratos didn't put up the least bit of resistance and did defend himself. Perhaps he viewed this as a form of atonement for his past sins. In any case, as calmly as he could, he walked up to Lloyd and Sheena and fell on his knees. The throwing of objects had ceased as the two young lovers turned to him.

"Kratos!" said Lloyd. "What are you doing here! I thought we told you-"

"Lloyd, Sheena," said Kratos as he brought his eyes up to meet his son's. "I ask, no, I _beg_ of you to just give me one last minute of your time. Please."

Sheena hold onto Lloyd's left arm with both of her own. "Lloyd?"

Lloyd thought for a moment, then nodded. "One minute Kratos. Hurry up. After this, I want you to disappear. Got it?"

Kratos nodded. "Understood." He took a deep breath and began. "Lloyd… Sheena… I could ask all day for your forgiveness and still never receive it, as it should be. My crimes against you are far too severe to be forgiven so lightly. If you really want me out of your life, I… I don't want to accept it, but I understand why you're doing what you're doing and I will accept your wishes. Just… before I go, I want you to have something I had prepared for a time like this." He began to fumble around in his pocket as everyone leaned forward to see what he was doing. Finally, he found what he was looking for. "Lloyd, give me your hand."

Everyone began to whisper as Lloyd reluctantly offered his hand palm up. Kratos clasped his own hand over his son and dropped something in it. "This is… my final gift to you." After giving Lloyd his "gift", he stood up and began to walk away. "I wish you a long and prosperous life, Lloyd and Sheena. I hope you two take good care of each other. If you ever need me… I would gladly die for either of you."

Lloyd opened his palm to reveal two silver rings. "Rings?"

Sheena looked at the finely crafted rings and noticed something. "Lloyd, there's something written on the sides. What does it say?"

Lloyd brought one of the rings close to his right eye and examined the fine cursive on the side of the ring… and his jaw dropped.

_"__Lloyd and Sheena Forever" _

"…Lloyd and Sheena forever," said Lloyd quietly as he handed one of the rings to Sheena.

Sheena looked at her ring in disbelief. "But… there's no way he could've made this in just a few minutes. Do you think he… had these made some time ago?"

Kratos was doing his best to fight his own sadness as he continued to increase the distance between himself and the church scene. "I mean that, Lloyd" Kratos said, whispering to himself. "I hope you have the happiest life ever in the history of Symphonia."

"Dad!" cried Lloyd as he and Sheena ran towards him.

Kratos wheeled around and was surprised by what he saw. "What? I thought you-"

Simultaneously, the two lovers embraced Kratos. "Dad, I'm sorry. I guess you really are with us now. Please forgive us."

Sheena gave Kratos a quick kiss on the cheek. "We were wondering if, uh… you'd still want to come to our wedding. If so, uh… would you, um… please walk me down the aisle… dad?"

"Dad! She called me dad!" said Kratos to himself. He was totally overcome with joy. Truly, being accepted as a father to both Lloyd and Sheena was the greatest triumph of his life. To top it all off, in his heart, he had finally abolished the last bit of doubt in his heart as to whether or not he chose the right side. Of course he knew what to do now. His job was to be there for his son and daughter-in-law, no matter what. "I-I would be honored if you'd allowed me such a privilege."

The young couple smiled and let go of Kratos. "Let's go then!" said Lloyd as ran back towards the aisle.

His lovely wife-to-be offered Kratos her arm and a warm, loving smile. "Shall we?"

He was prepared to take her arm when, suddenly, the church scene and everyone with it vanished, leaving Kratos stranded once again in an ocean of stars.

"What? Sheena? Lloyd? What happened to everyone?" he asked as he looked around.

"Interesting," said the voice that had spoken to him earlier. As it did before, the ball of light emerged from the backdrop of stars and other heavenly bodies and circled around his head. "A man once torn by opposing sides has finally found a home for his heart. Well done, Kratos Aurion. Let us begin the creation process."

Kratos stared at the ball of light as it circled about him. "You mean I-"

"Offer your right hand to me, Seraphim," demanded the voice.

Kratos did as he was told and held out his right hand, palm down. Once he did so, the ball of light floated landed on the back of his hand and seemed to absorb itself into his hand. "Be still," said the voice. "I promise this won't hurt."

Once fully absorbed, a bright flash of light illuminated the starry heavens around him and, when the light subsided, he found that his feet were no longer touching solid ground. "Wh-what?" said Kratos, confused.

"The first part of "becoming" the Angel Arm is to make you into a true angel," said the voice.

Once it said this, Kratos' blue, spectral wings came to life and softly illuminated the area around him. He looked to either side of him, not sure of what to expect. Another flash of light blazed through the area and, when Kratos was able to see again, noticed that his spectral wings had been replaced with a pair of beautiful, white, and very large wings made of real feathers. He gasped in surprise. "Whoa! This is-"

"We're not done yet," said the voice again. "Far from it. Now you must be properly outfitted."

Several flashes of light illuminated the area as, one by one, several areas of his body were covered by extremely heavy yet beautiful-looking pieces of armor. First came a pair of gauntlets, then a pair of boots. Next was a pair of grieves (leg armor) and then an even heavier looking torso plate. This was followed up by a beautiful helmet decorated with a wide variety of rare gems and diamond that covered everything on his head save his face. Finally, a very large shield with an ancient rune inscribed on it was set into his left hand. When it was all said and done, his armor looked as if it weighed literally a ton. However, he was able to move about as if it were no heavier than a five-pound set of peasant's clothes.

"How is it?" the voice asked. "Is it comfortable enough?"

Still surprised by this whole ordeal, he managed to nod. "Y-yes. Easily the most comfortable suit of armor I have ever worn."

"Glad to hear it," said the voice. "Now then, it's time for what you originally came for: your actual Angel Arm."

Another flash of light. This time, a blue, spectral sword was clutched in his right hand. It felt as if it weighed nothing and, when Kratos swung it, it left a dazzling trail of stars behind it. "What an amazing blade!" he exclaimed.

"It is called "Polaris", named after the North Star" said the voice. "Just as the name implies, this weapon is meant to be used by one who will serve as a beacon of light to those around him. In this case, just as you wanted to do, it shall be used to defend your two companions from any and all dangers. You shall be the beacon of light they look to whenever they are in fear or doubt."

Kratos closed his eyes as he swung the blade once again. "Polaris…"

"That is not," said the voice again. "To finalize the creation, I must imbed into the strength and knowledge of the ancients. Close your eyes and try to empty your head of all thoughts."

Kratos nodded. "Very well." He did as he was told and waited.

Suddenly, his body began to convulse violently and great pain coursed throughout his body. "Ah! W-What is this?" asked Kratos in pain.

"You must try to relax, Seraphim," said the voice. "Great amounts of both spiritual and physical energy are being synthesized into your body. Try to remain as calm as possible."

"Grr-ahh!" yelled Kratos as he did his best to remain as still as possible. As he struggled with the physical pain, several thousand images of everything imaginable began to flash in his mind. "Wh-what is this?"

"It is the wisdom of the ancients," said the voice. "Soon, you will know more about Nebilim and your world than you ever could have dreamed of."

Shortly after this, the pain in his body ceased and he fell to the invisible ground below him. He gasped for breath as the strength slowly returned to his body.

"It is complete," said the voice. "Rise, Kratos Aurion, Seraphim of Symphonia!"

He did so but held his chest as he did so. "Ah… I feel so weak!"

"Then use your newly-discovered knowledge to heal yourself," suggested the voice.

Kratos closed his eyes. "Yes… yes of course." A great white aura surrounded him as he began to chant. "Sacred powers, shine your soothing light upon our souls! Grant us your strength!" He threw both of his arms up in the air and yelled, "Miracle!"

A beautiful blue and white completely surrounded him and spread out fairly far away from him. He had never before felt such a wonderful light and, as he bathed in it, all of the weakness that once plagued his body was gone in an instant. The light slowly subsided and, once again, only darkness and stars surrounded him.

"Feel better?" asked the voice.

Kratos flexed both of his arms, amazed with what one single spell had done. "I… I've never felt stronger in my four-thousand years of life! This is truly amazing!"

"Then go, Kratos Aurion," said the voice. "You have embraced the light of heaven. Use the power it offers to destroy Nebilim, once and for all! Fare thee well, and good luck, Seraphim of Symphonia!"

The voice faded away as a gate of light appeared before Kratos. He grinned and walked towards it.

"I'm coming Nebilim," said Kratos as he passed through the gate. "Fear me!"

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Huh… that was longer than I thought. About 2,500 words longer than I thought. Oh well. Hope you liked it!

Kratos has passed the trials of his heart and has been awarded with a magnificent amount of divine power. If Lloyd and Sheena pass the trial as well, will their combined powers be enough to stop the demonic menace? Please leave reviews, and thanks once again for reading!

By the way, I have plans for another side-story called "Bridging the Gap" and I was wondering if any of you would be interested in me writing it. What's it about? Ahem…

**_Bridging the Gap_** (Tales of Symphonia)  
Even after the defeat of Cruxis and the Desians, racism is still fairly common in Symphonia. Despite this, Regal Bryant, a human martial artist, and Raine Sage, a half-elven healer, care deeply for each other. Will their socially forbidden relationship help to bridge the gap between the races of the world, or will, they too, also become unfortunate victims of blind racism? (RegalXRaine, side-story of "Unconditional Love")

Let me know in your reviews if you wanna see this or not!


	16. Starry Heavens: Lloyd

A/N: Wow! 17 reviews for one chapter! That's a record for me! Thank you so much everyone!

As for my "Bridging the Gap" side-story (RegalXRaine), looks like it's a nearly unanimous vote for yes, so I'm going to go with it! However, I'm not going to start it yet. I want to wait for a while before posting chapter 1 so it won't screw up my update process for Unconditional Love or Star Ocean: Forever and Beyond. Stay tuned though! Part of the first chapter is already written!

Anyway, on with the show!

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Chapter 16: Starry Heavens: Lloyd

Lloyd walked in complete darkness, unsure of what to do now that he had been separated from his father and Sheena. He was nervous, there was no denying that. The sudden disappearance of two so close to you will do that. Being in unfamiliar territory didn't help either.

"Sheena! Dad!" he called out in vain. "Where are you!"

"Rest easy," came a voice similar to the one Kratos had encountered before. "Your friend and father are safe."

Lloyd's ears perked up as he heard the voice. He looked all around him but could not see from where the voice had originated. "What do you mean? Who are you!"

Just as before, the area surrounding Lloyd turned into a beautiful landscape of space, littered by seemingly millions of heavenly bodies. The scene was breath-taking. He had never seen anything like it before in his life. "Wow…" he uttered breathlessly as he kept turning around in circles, looking at everything around him. He shook his head violently when he realized that he was getting side-tracked. "Gah! You still didn't answer my question!"

From out of the background came a small, glowing ball of light. It circled around Lloyd's head as it spoke again. "My apologies, young warrior. I shall try to answer your questions to the best of my abilities."

Lloyd blinked once, then twice. This was just getting stranger by the second. He had come here to forge his angel arm, not chat with a weird ball of light. He folded his arms. "All right, I'm listenin'."

The light made a strange sound, as if it was clearing its non-existent throat. "Your father and friend are currently on a spiritual journey to forge their Angel Arms. You-"

Lloyd waved his hands in front of himself. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. 'Spiritual journey to forge their Angel Arms'? Since when do people go on a journey like that to make a weapon?"

The ball of light dimmed a bit and floated directly in front of Lloyd's face. "Ahem. If you'd let me explain…"

Lloyd rubbed his head. "Ah, sorry. Go ahead."

The light returned to hovering around Lloyd. "As I was saying, you too are about to forge your own Angel Arm. That brings me to who I am: I am one who is bound to the creation process of the Angel Arms. In other words, I am here to help you "forge" your Angel Arm."

Lloyd brought a hand to his chin. "Hmm, okay, I've got it so far. So… what exactly is an Angel Arm? I had never heard of it before."

The voice continued. "Well, it's a weapon unlike anything you've ever seen before. You see, the Angel Arm is not so much a weapon as it is a catalyst for bringing out your true angelic powers."

"Huh?" asked Lloyd, baffled. "It's not a weapon? How do I forge something that I can't even see or control?"

The ball of light slowly faded away. "With your soul."

Lloyd reached in vain for the fading light. "Wait, what the heck does that mean? Hey! Hey!" His shouts were also in vain, as he received no response in return. "Crap. What do I do now?"

"That figures," said a familiar voice from behind him.

Lloyd whirled around and was, to say the least, very surprised to see his longtime friend Genis walking towards him. "Genis?"

Without even looking his way, Genis shrugged as he walked past Lloyd. "Leave it to Lloyd to not be able to figure out something. How typical." After taking a few steps past Lloyd, Genis faded away, just as the light had done.

"An illusion?" Lloyd asked himself. He scratched his head. "Wasn't a very nice illusion, but I have to admit that it did a great Genis impression."

"Honestly," said another familiar voice.

Turning in its direction, he saw Raine walking both towards and past him. "Professor? What are you-"

"Why do I even bother with you?" asked Raine as she passed by. "You're not even worth the trouble." Just as Genis before her had done, she vanished as well.

"…you're not very nice either," mumbled Lloyd to himself. "This is getting kinda-"

"Lloyd… isn't very smart," said Presea emotionlessly as she too passed by.

Now this was just getting a bit too weird. "What the heck? Where did you-?" Too late. She had already vanished. "Gah! What's going on here!"

"You thought I was a handcuff thief?" asked Regal as, he too, passed by. "Cooking with my feet? I'm sorry Lloyd, but just how dumb are you?"

Now Lloyd was getting a headache. Everything seemed to be happening so quickly that it was driving me nuts. "Man, this sucks. If they're just illusions, why am I getting so irritated?"

"Because you're unwilling to sit back and analyze a situation for once," said Zelos as he passed by. "Anyone with a brain would do that at least once in a while."

Lloyd threw up his arms in frustration. "Okay! Okay! I get it! I'm stupid, alright! Is everyone happy!"

"You can say that again," said Colette as she walked towards Lloyd. However, unlike everyone else so far, she actually stopped in front of Lloyd and turned to face him, tears in her eyes as she did so. "But no, I'm still not happy! I'll never be happy again!"

Lloyd tilted his head, confused and worried about what Colette was talking about. "Whoa, what's wrong Colette?"

She tried to wipe away the tears but those were only replaced by more. She sniffled and tried to compose herself. "Why? You wanna know why! Because I thought you loved me, Lloyd! Me!"

Lloyd took a step back, unsure of what to say. This was just getting worse by the second. "Colette, I-"

"Why couldn't you love me like I loved you Lloyd?" asked Colette, frantically. "We've known each other since we were little. I-I thought we were meant for each other! In the end, you ended up with that… that… little temptress Sheena! Why Lloyd? Why? I would've done anything for you Lloyd…" At this point, she fell to her knees and buried her face in the palms of her hands. "Anything…"

Just as Lloyd was going to reach down for her, she slowly faded away, just as everyone else had done. "Colette… I don't know what to say."

"Then say nothing," said the familiar voice of his father. "It's always easier to do that, isn't it?"

Lloyd whirled to see his father, Kratos, standing there with his arms crossed. Although Lloyd could feel no wind of any sort, Kratos' hair moved as if something was blowing through it. "Dad? What's going on here?"

Kratos grunted and shrugged. "What does it matter? It's not like you'll do anything about it. Even if you did, you'd probably just screw up anyway."  
He shook his head and walked past his son as, he too, slowly faded away. "Passing up a childhood friend for the assassin that tried to kill her? Naive _and_ stupid. I'm glad Anna isn't alive to see what has become of you."

Stupid. This word kept ringing through his head as he fell to his knees. Was this what everyone really thought of him? Did his heart and soul mean nothing when placed in comparison to his brain? It didn't make any sense. Surely his friends didn't _really_ think like this… did they?

"Lloyd," said the comforting voice of Sheena as she kneeled down next to Lloyd. "Are you okay?" She locked both of her hands with Lloyd's right hand.

Lloyd looked at the beautiful summoner. Unlike everyone else, there was no look of disapproval on her face. She looked like the Sheena he had known for seemingly so long now: the kind-eyed summoner who made feel something that no one else before her had ever made him feel: love. "Ah, it's nothing Sheena. Thanks for asking."

She shook her head. "Lloyd, I know something is bothering you. You can tell me," she said, quietly.

Lloyd looked at the ground (or lack thereof) and sighed. "Sheena, am I stupid?"

She smiled and nuzzled her nose into his neck. "Of course not Lloyd. Even if you were, what would it matter?"

Lloyd took his free hand and lightly grasped Sheena's shoulder. "Thank Sheena, but… I think that my friends hate me for being stupid."

She giggled and kissed his cheek. "So what? You've got me. You don't need false friends like them anymore."

He looked at her in shock. "S-sheena?"

She looked at him, her happy expression unchanging. "All I'm saying is that, if they really do talk like that about you, then you don't need to be with them anymore."

About thirty feet in front of Lloyd and Sheena, a horrible vision of Lloyd's past came back to haunt him. It was Iselia, complete with burning buildings and dead bodies everywhere. Something was different about this one though. In addition to the peasants of Iselia that littered the ground here and there, he could see all of his friends there as well. Even his father was on the ground as well.

"W-what is this?" asked Lloyd in complete horror. "No. No, not this again!"

Sheena saw the scene but only slightly frowned. "Oh. Iselia. How sad," she said, emotionlessly.

Several voices began to flood Lloyd's head as he grabbed it pain… the voices of his friends.

_"Look what you did, stupid!" _

"You killed us Lloyd! How could you!"

"Idiot! What the hell kind of friend are you anyway?"

"I thought you loved me Lloyd! Why did you kill me!"

"I'm ashamed to admit that I was ever your teacher. Ugh, it makes me sick!"

"What… have you done?"

"Forgive me Anna, for not being able to help him."

"Stop it!" cried Lloyd in pain. "Stop it! Leave me alone! I-I can't help it!"

Sheena held his hands more tightly now. "Let's go Lloyd. This place obviously brings you great pain. Let's leave it behind and forget about it."

The two stood up together and slowly began to walk away until Lloyd stopped dead in his tracks. "Lloyd, what's wrong?" asked Sheena.

Lloyd looked back at the scene of Iselia. Leave it behind? Forget about it? There was no way he could ever do that, no matter how much he wanted to. He knew that he was responsible for the Iselian disaster, there's no way he could ever make himself think otherwise. He knew he could never be forgiven, but he knew that he had to at least let everyone know just how sorry he was. "Sheena, I have to go back."

"Why?" she asked.

He let go of Sheena's hand and began to walk back towards Iselia. "I have to apologize… to everyone."

"But why, Lloyd?" asked Sheena. "They all think you're just an idiot! Why bother? They don't even want to be your friends anymore!"

Lloyd shook his head violently and sprinted full speed toward 'Iselia' "I don't care! I have to tell them!"

Sheena yelled after Lloyd but he couldn't hear her. Upon reaching the scene, Lloyd stood in the middle of the scene and looked all around him. "Everyone, please forgive me! I never meant to harm anyone!"

_"What good will an apology do now, huh? You think we'll all just rise from the dead, huh?"_

Lloyd fell to his knees and closed his eyes. The scent and sound of burning wood came from all around him. It was just like it really was back when Iselia was first destroyed. He was frightened, unsure of what to say next. Like everyone had pointed out earlier, he knew that there's no way he could form together any form of speech that would properly express how sincere his apology was. So instead, just as he always did, he spoke from his heart.

"I know it doesn't make any difference now, but… I'm sorry," said Lloyd quietly. "I'm sorry for not thinking things through. All I know is that I couldn't let someone suffer right in front of me. All I wanted to do was help them. I never could have dreamed that things would turn out like this. If I could take it all back, I would in an instant. I'm sure Marble would've wanted the same thing. I never meant to hurt anybody. I… I wish it could've been me that suffered instead. I'd gladly die in any of your places."

He stood and, walked to the body of his father, and knelt down again. "Dad, I know I may not be the most ideal of sons, but I'm trying my best. I promise that I'll make both you and mom proud of me someday. Please just give me some time. I won't fail you."

He stood up once again and walked over to Colette's fallen body. He kneeled down, picked her up, and cradled her in his arms. "Colette, I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you the way I did. I'll always love you, but as a little sister. You've been so good to me all these years, and I thank you for it. If I could have ever said anything in the present or the past to make the pain go away, I would. Please forgive me." He kissed her forehead and laid her back down, crossing her arms over her chest as he did so.

He walked back to the center of the burning town and fell to his knees again. "Please forgive me," he whispered in a low-tone.

A white-sleeved pair of arms threw themselves around Lloyd. "I'm sorry Lloyd," said Colette.

Lloyd turned his head to the left to see Colette's smiling, albeit tear-soaked face resting on his left shoulder. "C-colette! You're-"

"I'm sorry to have gotten upset the way I did Lloyd," said Colette. "In truth, I really am happy for you and Sheena. I love you like a big brother, Lloyd. Thank you for being honest with me."

"We're all sorry, Lloyd," said Genis from behind him.

Both he and Colette looked around to see that all of their friends, even the Iselian peasants, were back on their feet again, alive and well. Even the town looked brand new! All of their friends nodded to him.

"Indeed," said Kratos. "And Lloyd?"

"Y-yeah dad?" asked Lloyd.

"Your mother and I are already proud of you," he said with a smile. "You're living proof that all that matters is a strong heart."

He felt a kiss on his right cheek. "That's right, Lloyd," said Sheena as she hugged him. "I was hoping you would come back and face your fears."

"Y-you mean-" said Lloyd before he stopped himself. Everything around him began to vanish, including his friends, plunging him once again into the lonely void of heavenly bodies that he started off in. "What happened? Where is everyone?"

"Interesting," said the ball of light from before as it reemerged from the backdrop of stars. "A young man, haunted by his past and his 'supposed' lack of intelligence, has finally come around to conquer those fears and prove to everyone what really matters most. Well done, Lloyd Irving Aurion. Let us begin the creation process for your Angel Arm."

Lloyd scratched his head. "My Angel Arm? You mean-"

"Offer me your right hand, Seraphim" demanded the voice.

Confused, Lloyd offered his right hand, palm down. "Like this?"

"Yes, that will do. Now try to relax, young warrior." The ball of light landed on top of his hand and seemingly absorbed itself into his hand.

"Hehe, that tickles," said Lloyd with a snicker.

Once it was absorbed, Lloyd began to float in the air. "W-whoa! What's going on here?"

"Don't worry Lloyd," said the voice. "First, we're going to make you into a true angel, or rather, a Seraphim."

"How?" asked Lloyd.

He received no answer as his red wings flared into existence. Following this was a bright flash of light that temporarily blinded Lloyd. When his vision returned, he looked to either side of him, only to find that his red, spectral wings had been replaced by a pair of large, white wings made of real feathers. "Wow! That was cool!" he exclaimed!

"This is only the beginning," said the voice. "Now you must be given proper equipment."

Several flashes of light illuminated the area as the various parts of Lloyd's body were covered by new equipment. Lloyd's assortment of new gear was far lighter looking than that of Kratos, most likely meant to suit Lloyd's focus on his both strength _and_ agility-based fighting style. He was given a fine-looking suit that looked very much like the one he wore to the Meltokio ball, minus the gold buttons. Underneath the shirt-portion of his outfit was a mail made of the finest silver and mythril that anyone in Symphonia had ever seen. Around his shoulders and down his back was a pearl-white mantle that reached as far down as the tops of his ankles. To top it off, a very-long, ice-blue headband was tied around his head and reached as far down as the bottom of his back.

"How is it?" asked the voice.

Lloyd looked at his new clothes and equipment, smiled, and nodded. "Lookin' good."

"Excellent. Now we must give you proper weapons now," said the voice. "I believe these will suit you."

Yet another flash of light, this time bringing a pair of strange-looking swords into Lloyd's hands; one sky blue, the other a pure white. The edges on both were fine enough to split even an atom, but this was not what caught Lloyd's attention. The backside of each blade, instead of being rounded off or blunted, was instead form into the shape of an angel wing. "Whoa. What are they called?"

"These are the 'Wings of Light'" replied the voice. "The blue blade is 'Hope'. The white one, is 'Faith'.

Lloyd swung both blades slowly, leaving behind a trail of spectral feathers in their wake. "Hope and Faith, huh? Good names."

"We are almost done," said the voice. "To finalize the creation of your Angel Arm, I must infuse your soul with the strength and knowledge of the ancients. Please close your eyes and try to empty your head of all thoughts."

"Huh? Okay…" said Lloyd. He did as he was told and waited for whatever was to come. Without warning, his body began to convulse violently, bringing great amounts of pain to his body. "A-ah! This hurts! What's go-" He was interrupted by visions of seemingly everything imaginable flashed through his mind. "W-what's going on here?"

"It's like I said before," replied the voice. "You are being infused with the strength and wisdom of the ancients. I realize that it is a painful and frightening experience, but you must try to remain as calm as possible."

Lloyd gritted his teeth and prepared for the worst. "Urgh!"

A few moments passed and Lloyd fell to the ground, the pain now subsiding and the visions gone. "Man, I've never gone through something so rough in my life. Oww."

"It is complete. Now… rise, Lloyd Irving Aurion, Seraphim of Symphonia!" exclaimed the voice.

After a great deal of struggling, Lloyd managed to stand to his full height. "Ugh. I feel so… weak."

"Then allow me to help," offered the voice.

Lloyd's body glowed with a faint, blue light. As it did so, he could feel the remnants of his pain disappear along with his previous fatigue. The light subsided, leaving Lloyd feeling more refreshed than he ever had before in his life.

"How do you feel?" asked the voice.

Lloyd looked himself over. "Wow." He did a few basic stretches and rotated his shoulders a few times each. "I feel great! I feel like I could take on Nebilim all by myself!"

"Then go, Lloyd Irving Aurion," said the voice. "You have embraced the light of heaven. Use the power it offers to destroy Nebilim, once and for all! Fare thee well, and good luck, Seraphim of Symphonia!"

The voice faded away and, in its wake, left a large gate of light standing not far in front of Lloyd. He smiled and ran through it.

"Look out Nebilim! Ready or not, here I come!"

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Heh, I knew better than to say it was gonna be short again. As before, this one weighed in at almost 4,000 words. Cha-ching.

Now that Lloyd too has passed the trials of his heart, only Sheena now remains. What will Sheena's trial consist of? Stay tuned and find out!

Thanks in advance for any and all reviews! You guys are absolutely great!


	17. Starry Heavens: Sheena

A/N: Wow. With each chapter I post, the number of reviews per chapter keeps on going up and up. Thank you so much everyone!

This chapter will be the last of the heroes' trials. Following this chapter will be one more Starry Heavens section that will serve up as a wrap up for the Angel Arms.

That's enough of that. On with the show!

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Chapter 17: Starry Heavens: Sheena

The darkness was starting to get to Sheena. Although, as a ninja of Mizuho, she was trained to live in the shadows, it still didn't mean that she liked the dark. It unnerved her to no end, especially when she was alone.

"Lloyd! Where are you Lloyd!" she cried. "I can't see anything! Are you there!"

"Fear not, Grand Summoner of Symphonia," said a mysterious voice from seemingly every direction at once. "Your hero and his father are quite safe, I assure you."

Just as before with Lloyd and Kratos, the dark and empty void around Sheena into a beautiful landscape of space, littered with millions of heavenly bodies, such as stars, planets, and comets. As she looked about in complete awe, a very slow moving comet passed behind her, not very far form where she was standing. She turned just in time to see it streaking into the distance. "It's so pretty…" she said, breathlessly. She lowered her head and closed her eyes. "I wish Lloyd was here with me to see it."

Also as before, a ball of light emerged from the backdrop of space and came to circle around Sheena's head. "He is, young Sheena. As we speak, Lloyd and Kratos are in the process of 'forging' their Angel Arms."

Even hearing this didn't make Sheena fell any better. Ever since she and Lloyd first became friends, she didn't like being alone. She only hoped that she could quickly forge her Angel Arm so that she could be back together with her companions.

"So… what exactly _is_ an Angel Arm?" asked Sheena.

"It is a truly fantastic weapon that is much like the Devil Arms in the way that it works, except that it is a weapon of light and not of darkness," said the voice. "The Angel Arm acts as a catalyst to awaken the hidden powers of the angels; powers that were last seen five-thousand years ago during the first battle against Nebilim. I am one who is bound to the creation process of the Angel Arms, meaning that I am here to help you forge your own."

She nodded. "Alright then. Sounds kinda weird, but I'll do whatever it takes to stop that monster from hurting anyone else. How do we forge the weapon?"

"With your soul," said the voice as the ball of light slowly faded away.

"Wait!" cried Sheena as she reached in vain for the ball of light. "Gone? I'm alone again…" She crouched down and closed her eyes. "What do I do now?"

"Is everything ready?" asked a very familiar voice.

Sheena looked up to see a scene resembling what appeared to be the Temple of Lightning. Several people were standing around Volt's altar, including Chief Igaguri (A/N: I think that was the name. Lil' help, anyone?) and a very young Sheena. "W-what?" asked Sheena from afar. "What's going on here?"

A man close to the chief nodded. "Everyone's here, Chief. We can begin anytime you're ready."

He nodded back and kneeled down next to his adopted granddaughter. "Sheena, are you ready?"

A look of nervousness was in her kind eyes but she nodded her head anyway. "Y-yes grandpa."

He smiled and patted her on the head. "Go ahead then, Sheena."

The young Sheena took a deep breath and stepped up to the altar. Just as she did so, a bright light flashed throughout the main hall of the temple and, from this bright light, came the Summon Spirit of Lightning: Volt. Everyone gasped when they first saw the mighty Summon Spirit. He was much larger and more powerful looking than they had first imagined.

"…" said Volt in its strange language.

Young Sheena gasped and took a step backward. "W-what's he saying? I can't understand him!"

Several hushed whispers flowed through the crowd. Chief Igaguri had no idea what was going on but decided to push on anyway. "I don't know Sheena, but try to make the pact anyway."

From her position of observation, the present-day Sheena tried to run toward the scene, but it seemed to be getting no closer, no matter how fast she ran. "No!" she cried. "Don't do it!"

"I-I am Sheena!" said young Sheena. "I, um… I ask that thou establish, ah… ah! Establish a pact with me!"

"…" said Volt, again in his unusual tongue.

"Run!" yelled the present-day Sheena. "Run while you can!"

"Please?" asked young Sheena.

"…" repeated Volt, in a much more angry tone (if one could call it a tone).

"Maybe I messed up?" young Sheena said, whispering to herself. "Ahem! I am She-"

Before she could finish, several bolts of lightning flew from the menacing Volt, striking everyone and everything that stood in their paths. Several screams of pain roared through the relatively empty hall as the surviving Mizuhoan warriors ran around in a panic, unsure of what to do now.

"No!" cried present-day Sheena as she fell to her knees, sobbing. "Not again! Please don't make me watch this again! Anything but this!"

After Volt's initial rampage, he set his sights on young Sheena, who could do nothing but shiver in fear as the mighty Summon Spirit readied another lightning bolt. She began to walk backwards, away from Volt, but tripped and landed on her back. "H-help!" she cried.

Without a moment to spare, Chief Igaguri dove in front of the bolt of lightning Volt launched at Sheena. Just as the bolt struck, both the temple scene and the starry scene surrounding it exploded into a great flash of light.

When present-day Sheena was able to see again, she saw that she was still on her knees, but that she was now in the Temple of Lightning. In front of her was the electrically burned body of Corrine, her long-time friend. Above him and not far from herself was the cause of all her nightmares: Volt.

"Corrine? Corrine! No!" she cried. "Please don't die! Please!"

Volt launched a bolt of lightning at Sheena, only to have it deflected away by what appeared to be Lloyd. "L-Lloyd!" she asked, obviously surprised. "What are y-"

"Sheena! Get a hold of yourself!" yelled Lloyd. "Don't let Corrine's death be in vain!"

A fearful look shone in Sheena's eyes. "B-but!"

Another bolt of lightning was launched and, once again, Lloyd deflected it away. "Sheena, if you don't conquer your fear now, you'll forever live in horror in Volt's shadow! You have to fight, Sheena!"

She shook her head and lowered it to the ground. She couldn't take this. The terror produced by the 'scene' was far too real for it to be a mere illusion. "I… I can't!" she cried.

A final bolt was launched by Volt. Unfortunately, Lloyd was too slow to deflect this one and, as a result, was struck by it. His body convulsed violently as his entire body shone a bright purple, Volt's high-powered lightning coursing through Lloyd's veins as it did so.

"_AUGH!_" he yelled out in pain. When it was all over, Lloyd's steaming body fell to the ground, lifeless.

"…Lloyd? **_LLOYD!_**" cried Sheena as she immediately rushed over to him. "Not you too! Please wake up!"

No response. "_Please!_" she said again.

Again, no response. She checked for a pulse but felt nothing. It was really true then. Lloyd _was_ dead.

"**_NOOO! LLOYD!_**" cried Sheena as she brought the head of her hero and lover to her chest, sobbing as she did so. "**_WHY!_**"

"Because you were too weak," said a familiar voice from behind her.

Looking behind her, she could see all of the rest of her friends there, even Colette and Kratos, who had not been there when Sheena finally made the pact with Volt. Every single one of them shook their heads in disgust.

"You let Lloyd die!" cried Colette. "How could you!"

"Lloyd believed in you," said Zelos. "How could you let him down like that?"

Perhaps the most disgusted of everyone was Kratos. Shaking his head, he said, "I can't believe my son was in love with a woman like you. You make me sick."

Unable to take it anymore, Sheena stood up and began to run away. "It's just a dream! It's just a dream!" she kept saying to herself. "This can't really be happening!" She eventually made her way out of the temple scene and back into the Starry Heavens. Looking back, she could still see the scene, but only Volt and Lloyd's corpse were still there. '…it just can't be happening."

"But it is, you murderer!" said yet another familiar voice.

Sheena turned sharply on one heel when she heard this voice and nearly fainted when she saw her old friend Kuchinawa standing before her. However, instead of wearing his normal ninja outfit, he was wearing what looked like the chieftain's outfit given to her by her grandfather. He wore no hood, thus revealing his facial features. He had brown hair, cut in a style roughly similar to Lloyd's, but was slightly longer. His eyes were a hue of deep green and his face was adorned with three scars: one on his forehead and two in an uneven 'X' pattern on his left cheek. "K-Kuchinawa!"

Kuchinawa grinned. "What's wrong? Surprised to see me, Sheena? Or maybe it's just the outfit I'm wearing? Heh. After you ran away like a coward from the temple, no once, but twice, Tiga decided that I would make a far better chieftain that you would, after you allowed countless numbers of people to die because of your cowardice!"

Sheena shook her head violently and took a step back. "B-but I didn't mean for them to die! I-I was afraid!"

He chuckled. "What? You mean the death of our people wasn't enough to give you the courage to protect not only Corrine but Lloyd too? First my parents and the other people of Mizuho, then Corrine… and then Lloyd, the man who loved you! _Loved you!_ All of these people died because you were afraid? Ha! What in the world was that fool Lloyd thinking?"

Sheena fell to her knees and began to sob uncontrollably. "Lloyd… Lloyd…" she kept whispering to herself, over and over again.

Kuchinawa kneeled down in front of her and lifted her chin up. He flashed a warm yet eerily unsettling smile at her. "But I'll forgive you, Sheena. I have no further interest in Volt or the mistakes of the past. Come back to Mizuho and you'll never again have to worry about Volt."

Tears still fresh in her eyes, Sheena looked up at him. "W-what? But what about-"

"Mizuho still needs you," said Kuchinawa, interrupting her. "Not as a chief, but as a warrior. Just as they did before, all of the people of Mizuho are willing to forgive you. All you have to do is come home and stop worrying about the nonsense that happens outside of our village." He stopped long enough to stand up and offer Sheena a hand. "Well Sheena, what do you say? This is your only chance to go back to living the normal life you enjoyed so much as a young child. Remember all the good times we used to have together?"

She began to sob again. "But al of those people… Corrine… Lloyd…"

"Come with me," demanded Kuchinawa quietly, his hand still offered.

An image of Lloyd's smiling face could be seen in the depths of her mind. One eye was closed and he gave her a thumbs up.

_"Win or lose, I'll still believe in you Sheena."_

She took Kuchinawa's hand and stood up. "Kuchinawa?"

"Yes Sheena?" he replied.

She gently let go of his hand and turned back to the temple scene. "I appreciate the offer, but…"

He tilted his head, frowning. "But?"

She began to walk away. "I've let everyone down and many people died because of it. Nothing can change that. However, even if it won't change anything, I can't let Volt get away with this. I have to stand up to him! I don't care what happens to me! "With this last statement, she broke into a sprint and made her way to the temple.

"Sheena!" yelled Kuchinawa. "You're a fool if you really believe that this will accomplish anything! Sheena!"

She ignored him. Nothing else mattered to her now. Nothing would be changed even if she did manage to defeat Volt. Yet, if Lloyd really did still believe in her, she at least felt that she had to honor his memory by at least trying.

She reached Volt and knelt down next to the corpse of Lloyd. She lifted his head once again and kissed him on the lips. "This is for you Lloyd," she whispered, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry that I didn't have the courage to do this earlier. Please forgive me."

She set him down gently and stood up once more, staring into the wild eyes of Volt as she did so. She drew Acalantha and waved it at Volt. "You who haunts my nightmares! Be gone! Never again will you heart anyone!"

_"You can do it Sheena!"_

She ran at Volt, the fires of Acalantha dancing across her palms as she did so. Volt began to surge with energy, ready to strike down Sheena with a well-placed lightning bolt.

"_I believe in you Sheena!"_

The attacks landed at the same time. A bolt of lightning had struck Sheena in the stomach, knocking her on her back, but not before she had released a long, flamethrower-like stream of fire from Acalantha at Volt. It dropped back a bit, obviously irritated with Sheena's assault.

_"That's it Sheena! Get 'im!"_

Sheena wearily got up, feeling immense amounts of pain in her gut. She watched Volt, who looked virtually unfazed by Sheena's attack. "Guh. No good. I'm going to need some help if I'm going to win." She slowly drew a card with the image of a heart and large fox-like creature on it.

_"I love you Sheena."_

"I call upon the most powerful of the summon spirits and what he represents: Hikari no Ai! My heart and mind are one! Come, Verius!" She threw down the card, but nothing happened.

"W-what? Why di-"

A soft white light surrounded Lloyd's body. To her great surprise, and almost horror, Lloyd slowly stood up and the light subsided. He turned back and smiled at her. "Hey Sheena. Are you okay?" he said calmly, as if nothing happened.

"Lloyd!" she cried out in sheer joy. "You're okay!"

He laughed warm-heartedly. "Of course I'm okay you dork. How can I not be okay when you're around?"

She blushed. "Lloyd…"

Lloyd took a few steps to his right, faced Volt, and readied his blades. "Ready?"

Sheena took a few steps to her left and nodded, readying Acalantha once again. "Ready!"

Volt prepared yet another lightning bolt but never got a chance to fire it off. Both warriors crossed each other in front of Volt in an 'X' pattern, each unleashing their own attack on the Summon Spirit as they did so. It was enough to end it all. Volt, along with the temple, vanished, leaving Sheena and Lloyd stranded in the ocean of stars that still surrounded them.

Lloyd walked over to his lover and embraced her. "You did good Sheena. I'm sure everyone is proud of you." Then, much to Sheena's disdain, Lloyd vanished as well, leaving Sheena alone once again.

"Lloyd," she whispered to herself.

"Interesting," said the ball of light from before as it reemerged from the backdrop of stars. "A young girl, once haunted by a being of great power, has come back to conquer her fear and destroy the object of said fear. Well done, Sheena Fujibayashi. Let us begin the creation process for your Angel Arm. Now… offer me your right hand."

Without saying a word, Sheena offered her hand, her palm facing downward. "Is this okay?"

"Perfect," said the voice. "Now, try to relax." The ball of light landed upon her hand and absorbed itself into her.

"W-whoa!" said Sheena, astonished. She slowly rose into the air. "What's going on? Why am I floating?"

She received no answer as her purple wings flared into existence. Following this was a bright flash of light that temporarily blinded Sheena. When her vision returned, she looked to either side of him, only to find that her purple, spectral wings had been replaced by a pair of large, white wings made of real feathers. "Wow! They're so beautiful!" she said.

"They are, aren't they?" asked the voice. "Now you must be properly outfitted. Something humble will suit you just fine."

A lone flash of light illuminated the space around her. She opened her eyes and looked down to see that all of her clothes had been replaced by a long, elegant looking white robe that reached down to the ankles of her bare feet. When she began to twist about to examine her beautiful robe, several strands of hair began to flow into her face. Puzzled, she reached behind her head, only to discover that her hair was undone and now flowed freely down her back. With the humble appearance she now had, she truly looked like an angel.

"How do you like it?" asked the voice.

She ran her right hand down the long, soft sleeve on her right left arm, smiling. "It's absolutely beautiful."

"Indeed. Now, we must give you a fitting weapon," said the voice.

Another flash of light came, this time bringing a single card into her hand. On its edges were several strange runes that she could not read. In the center was a large heart with a picture of herself and Lloyd holding hands in front of it. "I-It's us!" cried Sheena.

"It's called the 'Heart of Symphonia'," said the voice. "It represents the unconditional love between you and Lloyd: A love the likes of which has never before been seen in the long history of Symphonia."

She closed her eyes. "The 'Heart of Symphonia'…"

"Let us finish the process," said the voice. "I shall now instill into you the power and wisdom of the ancients. Close your eyes and empty your head of all thoughts. Try to relax."

She nodded and tried to do as she was told. Without warning, her body began to convulse violently, bringing great amounts of pain to her. She screamed in pain as several images of things she had never before seen flash through her mind. "W-what is this!"

"Please try to remain calm. The process is almost complete," said the voice.

The next few moments were excruciatingly painful but Sheena managed to hold out until her body fell to the clear ground below her. "Oh, it hurts!" she cried as she rolled around.

A soft blue light surrounded her body as the pain slowly began to fade away. "Hey, that feels good," she said. "What's happening?"

"I've healed you," said the voice plainly. "Now… rise, Sheena Fujibayashi: Seraphim of Symphonia!"

She did as she was told and looked herself over once again. "Wow! I've never felt better in my life!"

"Then go, Sheena Fujibayashi," said the voice. "You have embraced the light of heaven. Use the power it offers to destroy Nebilim, once and for all! Fare thee well, and good luck, Seraphim of Symphonia!"

The voice faded away and, in its wake, left a large gate of light standing not far in front of Sheena. She smiled and glided through it.

"Wait for me Nebilim!" she said as she faded through the door. "I'll make you pay for what you've done!"

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And that's that! Everyone has passed their trials (was there any doubt?) and have acquired their Angel Arms. Following this chapter will be a wrap-up of the Angel Arms as the heroes return to Iselia to prepare for the coming battle. In your reviews for this chapter and the next, I'd like to know how much pre-battle stuff in Iselia you'd all like to see. I have a large number of ideas, but I don't know how anxious you guys are to see the final (?... just kidding!) battle. Wanna see a lot? Want me to cut to the chase? Lemme know so I can start planning! Thanks again for all the fine reviews!


	18. Starry Heavens: Finale

A/N: Alright! All of the Starry Heavens are done except for this little finale which will act as a wrap-up of sorts. A small part will take place in Welgaia while the better part will take place in Iselia. Not a very exciting chapter and it might not be very long, but I feel that a wrap-up is necessary. After this chapter, we'll get into the pre-final battle(?... sorry! I couldn't resist!) "hangin' out in town" chapters. Y'know, the fun stuff.

Anyway, without further ado, on with the show!

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Chapter 18: Starry Heavens: Finale

**_SLAM!_**

A loud noise sounded throughout seemingly all of Welgaia. Literally hundreds, perhaps thousands of angels emerged from their homes or places of work to find out what had caused such a loud noise.

"What was that noise?"

"Are we under attack?"

"Could it be the demons?"

"What's going on?"

Calvo glided through the quickly crowding streets of Welgaia. "Excuse me. Pardon me. I have to get through!" He had heard the noise himself but was not quite sure what it was. He was currently making his way toward the room which housed the Eternal Door, hoping against hope that that was the cause of the noise. Many angels followed close behind him, thinking that maybe he had an idea of what was going on.

Moments later, Calvo and several hundred angels gathered in front of the entrance that lead to the room housing the Eternal Door. Nobody moved as they waited for Calvo to act or speak. He did neither.

"Lord Kratos, have you succeeded?" he wondered to himself.

Suddenly, the doors in front of him were thrown open, barely missing him and a few other nearby angels in the process. A bright, all-encompassing light flashed from within the room and flooded all of Welgaia.

"Ah! It's so bright!"

"What is this?"

"What's happening?"

Calvo did the best he could to shield his eyes from the bright, yet, strangely soothing light. "Could it be? Have they really done it?"

What happened next verified what he hoped was true. A very heavy-sounding pair of metallic boots could be heard walking towards him. Calvo brought his arm away from his eyes to see who it was. Emerging from the light, almost as if it were a vertically standing pool of water, was Kratos in his extremely heavy looking armor and truly angelic wings. In fact, Calvo would've never known it was Kratos had he not removed his helmet and smiled to his friend.

"L-Lord Kratos!" said Calvo, half-asking, half-exclaiming. "Is it really you?"

The powerful Seraphim nodded, which brought about several hundred gasps of surprise from the gathering of angels. "Indeed it is, Calvo. We have succeeded in obtaining the power of the Angel Arms."

"We?" asked Calvo. "But where's-"

"Lloyd and Sheena? One at a time, Calvo," said Kratos with a smile. He turned back to the lighted room and said, "Come Lloyd. It is your turn."

"Comin' dad," said Lloyd from within the light.

Just as his father before, Lloyd emerged from the water-like light. Wrapped in his white mantle and with the trails of his ice-blue headband flowing in front of him, he looked like an even more elegant swordsman than Kratos. The Angel Arm on his right hand shone faintly as he held it high enough for everyone to see. Several hushed whispers swept through the crowd.

"And that's not all," proclaimed Lloyd. "We have yet to see the fairest of the Seraphim." He turned back to the lighted room and said, "C'mon Sheena!"

From the light came the very beautiful Sheena, the soles of her bare feet covered by a very thin veil of light that kept her feet from actually touching the ground. Her hair was draped down in front of her shoulders and she brushed through it with her left hand once as she walked to Lloyd and Kratos. All of the angels that had gathered around the door could only stare in awe as the beautiful Seraphim walked past them. With so many eyes glued on her, she could not help but blush.

"Wow… look at her!"

"She looks so lovely!"

"She's even more beautiful than Lady Martel!"

Calvo kept looking back and forth between the three Seraphim. He could literally feel the power that they exuded even as they stood by idly. Even though there were only three of them, Calvo began to believe that maybe, just maybe, they stood a chance against Nebilim.

"Lord Kratos, you-… you're really going to fight Nebilim, aren't you?" he asked.

Kratos nodded. "Yes, but we shall rest for at least a few days before we actually move to engage him. Also, in case we fail…" He paused and looked down. "…we should really take some time to be with the ones we love, just in case we never see them again. How long do you believe Yuan will last in the hibernation chamber?"

Calvo looked up as he pondered this. "I'd say… two weeks, maybe?"

Kratos nodded again. "Good." He turned to his two companions. "Lloyd, Sheena, we should take this opportunity to get some rest and spend quite possibly our last few days together. Is that alright?"

They both nodded. "Of course. I want to be with my friends for a bit before we leave, anyway," said Lloyd.

Kratos nodded once more. "Then it's decided. Lloyd, prepare our Rheiards. We're heading home." He turned to Calvo. "Calvo, take care of Welgaia until Yuan can reawaken. We will do our best to stop Nebilim."

Calvo nodded. "Of course Lord Kratos. May the light be with you, brave heroes." He then kneeled and all of the other angels followed suit. "I wish we could help you Lord Kratos.

Kratos shook his head and waved his right hand in front of him. "Don't worry about it. It can't be helped."

"Kratos?" said Sheena from the seat of her Rheiard. "We're ready to go."

He nodded and mounted his own. "Farewell Welgaia. Wish us luck." With that, all three Rheiards disappeared.

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"How do you think they're doing, sis?" asked Genis.

Raine shook her head. "I wish I knew. I have no idea how long the Angel Arm forging process takes. It could take days or weeks for all we know."

Colette could not stop pacing around the room. As she passed his chair, Zelos put his good hand on her shoulder, startling her as she stopped. "Colette, you have to relax. You're going to worry yourself sick if you keep this up."

She sighed and sat down in the chair next to him. "I know, I know. But… I can't stop worrying about them. What if something bad happened to them? I wish they would've let us come too. I wish I wasn't so weak…"

Zelos leaned over and wrapped his good arm around her. "Don't say that. You're plenty strong enough. Kratos… just doesn't wanna take a chance eon us getting hurt. He seems like the kind of guy that knows what he's doing, so I'm sure he has his reasons."

From across the table, Regal nodded. "Indeed. All of us would like to go, but we may prove to be more of a nuisance and liability than actual help. For both our and their sake, it would be best if we just put all of our faith in them."

Presea nodded as well. "Yes. We… have to believe in them. Besides, what would happen to the village if something came up while we were gone? Perhaps Kratos took this into consideration as well. If nothing else, the legend says that only those with the Angel Arms can penetrate Nebilim's barrier. Like Regal said, we would be useless if we went anyway."

Colette shook her head. "Still, I-"

Several gasps were head outside of Colette's house. Everyone within turned to the door.

"What's going on?" asked Genis.

Zelos, with Colette's help, stood up and brought his golden wings into existence. "Dunno, but we better find out." With that, he glided over to the door, opened it, and made his way outside. Everyone else shortly followed suit.

Once outside, everyone stopped dead in their tracks. All of the townsfolk had gathered around what initially appeared to be three Angels of Welgaia, judging by the feathered wings on their backs. Upon further investigation though, the three Seraphim turned out to be none other than Lloyd, Sheena, and Kratos.

"Everyone!" said Raine, startled. "Wh-what happened to you? Didn't you get the Angel Arms?"

Lloyd smiled and walked forward, lightly flapping his wings as he did so. "Sure did. What do these look like?"

Everyone's jaws dropped. They had expected the Angel Arms to be more or less like the Devil Arms; "just" a weapon. They didn't expect a full make-over. Their initial shock wore off as they began to swarm around the Seraphim. They circled around them, much like dogs, and examined them as closely as possible.

Just as in Welgaia, what really caught everyone's attention was Sheena. Not only did she look absolutely stunning in her humble-looking robe, but no one had ever before seen Sheena with her hair undone. They actually liked this look much better than her old style.

"Sheena! You're so beautiful!" cried Colette happily.

Sheena blushed fiercely. "Th-thank you," said Sheena quietly.

It was then that Colette noticed that Sheena had nothing on her feet. This puzzled her. "Umm, Sheena? Where are your boots that you always wear? Isn't walking without them rough on your feet?"

Sheena smiled and lifted her right foot and turned it slightly, revealing a thin veil of blue light on the bottom of it. "Not at all. This strange light protects them. It's more comfortable than any pair of shoes or boots that I've ever worn."

Colette smiled. "Wow, that's neat!"

Presea had finished circling Kratos when she took a step back and said, "You all… seem so powerful. I don't know how I know, but… I can feel it. It's so strange. I know who you are, but you seem so different."

Genis nodded. "You've got that feeling too, huh?"

"Same here," said Zelos. "As an Angel I'm sensitive to these kinds of things." He smirked. "I can already tell that, even if all six of us non-Angel Arm bearers combined our powers together, we still would lose against even just one of these three."

Everyone besides the Seraphim took a step back. "Are you serious?" asked Genis.

Zelos nodded. "If it really did take nine angels with Angel Arms to defeat Nebilim, then it's easy to see just how far out of our league this battle is."

Lloyd frowned and displayed a look of regret. "Zelos…"

The former Chosen shook his head. "I'm sorry we can't be of any help Lloyd. If we could-"

"You would," said Lloyd with a smile. "Thanks Zelos." He looked around at the rest of his friends. "And thank you to everyone else. We'll be sure to clobber Nebilim for all of you!" With that, Lloyd drew 'Hope' and 'Faith' from their sheaths and swung them around. This caused everyone to laugh and clap.

Kratos began to make his way towards Colette's house. "But first, we shall stay in town and rest up. Perhaps we can have a few more days of peace and happiness before we take on this terrible fiend." He stopped for a moment and turned back to Lloyd and Sheena. "The Angel arms may prove to be stressful after a while. If you are to rest, I would suggest that you, hmm… 'deactivate' your Angel Arms, for lack of a better word." With that, he displayed the Angel Arm on his right hand to everybody. A moment later, a small flash of light burst forth from his Angel Arm and, when the light dimmed, Kratos was back to his old self, with both his normal purple outfit and blue, spectral wings. He made the wings fade and opened the door to Colette's house.

"Wait!' said Lloyd. "How do we, uh… turn off our Angel Arms?"

Kratos shrugged and walked inside. "Listen to the ancients. They'll tell you how."

Lloyd and Sheena looked at each other and shrugged. They closed their eyes as they held up their right hands. In a fashion similar to before, they returned to their old selves, original outfits, spectral wings, and even Sheena's original hairdo.

Sheena looked at Lloyd. "Lloyd, how did we do that?"

He shrugged. "Beats me, but it worked. Maybe you just have to want to turn it off."

Sheena nodded. "Good enough for me. By the way, I just noticed that I'm really hungry."

Lloyd grabbed his stomach as it made an absolutely awful sound. "Whoa, I guess I am too. Hey, would you mind making some of that Pineapple Curry of yours? That sounds _really_ good right now."

She smiled sweetly at him. "Sure thing Lloyd. C'mon in everyone and I'll cook us up some dinner!"

Everyone followed Sheena inside except for Lloyd who was stopped by Raine.

"Eh? What is it Professor?" asked Lloyd. "Will this take long? I'm _really_ hungry."

There was an eerie friendliness to Raine's smile. "Lloyd, when Kratos said 'listen to the ancients', what did he mean?"

Lloyd brought a hand to his chin and thought for a moment. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah! When we were creating our Angel Arms, I remember hearing something about the strength and knowledge of the ancients being infused into us."

"Infused into you?" asked Raine. She pondered this for a moment before she suddenly grabbed Lloyd by the shoulders and shook him. "**_Are you telling me that all of the knowledge of five-thousand years is inside your head now!"_**

He nodded and smiled. "Yup!"

A dreamy look came to Raine's eyes. She couldn't even begin to imagine how much information she could reap from Lloyd's mind. "Um, Lloyd? Would you mind sharing some of this fabulous information with your favorite teacher?"

Lloyd scratched his head. "Ah, I'd like to but…"

Raine shook him again. "But? **_But!_**"

He grinned. "I don't understand any of it. Therefore, I can't really explain it. Sorry professor!"

Raine felt as if a million people were laughing at her. What an ironic turn of events this was. Here was Lloyd, a student best described as 'not terribly bright' and then there was Raine, a school teacher who had studied many different things all throughout the course of her life thus far. She had put almost two decades of dedication into her studies and had always sought to find out the secrets of the ancients, such as how Magitechnology was created and other such things. Now, in a very unfair turn of events, in a manner of less than a day, Lloyd had become infinitely more intelligent than she was. At least, he would once he understood all of this knowledge. What made things even worse was that she knew that Lloyd would not make use of this information. It was enough to make her want to cry in frustration. Life could be so cruel sometimes.

Lloyd patted the frozen-faced Raine on the back and began to walk inside. "C'mon Professor! Let's go get some grub!"

Raine blinked and lowered her head. She sighed. "This… this just isn't fair! What did I ever do wrong?" Grumbling to herself, the frustrated Raine finally made her way inside to join her friends.

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Poor Raine. Anyway, I'm going to take what I think are the best ideas and arrange them in a proper order. Once I do, in the A/N of the first pre-battle chapter, I'll announce the order in which I'm going to do things. It isn't too late to suggest ideas! If you have a good one, please let me know! This is your last chance! For what it's worth, when I do one of these chapters, I'll give a shout-out to anyone whose ideas I use. In this chapter's case, thanks to Lloyd Irving Aurion for the "Make Raine Look Stupid" idea. Hope it met your expectations! Keep those reviews comin' in, y'all!

Oh, and to everyone who's waiting for my RegalXRaine side-story? I've decided to change the name to "Crossing the Bridge". I thought it sounded cooler. :shrugs: Anyway, I'll have it out within the next two days (I think! Don't shoot me if I don't!) So remember, look for "Crossing the Bridge", coming soon to a ToS story page near you:points:


	19. Catching Up

A/N: Okay, I've finally slapped together my list of all the pre-battle stuff! Thanks to everyone for the great ideas! Ahem. The order is (along with the people who suggested them):

1. A hang-out scene with Lloyd, Sheena, Zelos, and Colette. (Rock Raider)  
2. A meeting with Volt (Specter Von Baren; this will prolly be kinda short)  
3. Conversation between Sheena and Kratos (myself **_and_** Tear of Celsius (her idea will be part of this chapter that I had originally planned; this will prolly be kinda short)  
4. 2 father/son scenes in one chapter (DeadEdBoy); one involving Dirk, the other Kratos, the Kratos scene serving as the lead-up to the below chapter  
5. A Sheloyd scene of epic proportions (Heh… everyone; that's the plan anyway. Hoping on 5,000+ words and an original song or poem)

In all, 5 chapters: 2 short, 2 medium, 1 large. I know that's a lot of pre-battle stuff, but the only long chapter you'll have is the last one. Hope that's okay with everyone. If anyone cares to know, events 3, 4, and 5 on the list will all happen on the same day, store time-line wise.

Anyway, on with the show!

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Chapter 19: Catching Up

Sparks flew through the late-afternoon air as Lloyd sharpened the edges of his Valkyrie blades. Although he had access to not only his Angel Arm's 'Wings of Light' and the Material Blades brought to him by Dirk from their own home, both sets of blades being stronger than the Valkyries, he had always liked the feel of the large blades. Against his normal tradition of carrying one blade on each of his sides (in which now rested the Material blades), he now also wore two additional sheaths criss-crossed on his back in which rested the Valkyries, making for a grand total of four swords. His friends had questioned why he did this. Genis had said it best when he asked, "How are you going to wield four swords, Lloyd?" To answer them, he would always just shrug and say "You never know." His father did not comment, but Sheena had complimented him by saying, "You look cool like that Lloyd."

Lloyd brought the edge of one of the Valkyries close to his eyes as he examined it. The now-setting sun shined beautifully off the perfectly sharpened blade. He smiled. "Good. Ready to be used again." The blades had been badly damaged during the fight with Abyssion and Lloyd had spent the last couple of hours fixing them up. It had proven to be a fun 'chore' for him. He had always loved working with metal but had not had the chance to do so in quite some time. Satisfied with his work, he placed the Valkyries in their new sheathes on his back.

Not long after he stood up to stretch, Sheena emerged from around the corner of a building closest to where Lloyd had been working on his weapons. "Hello Lloyd," she said with a smile. She kissed him on the cheek and the two of them embraced.

"Hey Sheena," said Lloyd. "What'cha been up to all day?"

"I've been with Colette and Zelos all day," she replied. "Did you know that those two are going out?"

Lloyd blinked. "Going… out?" He scratched his head as he pondered this. His eyes opened widely as he realized what this meant. "Whoa, wait a sec… Colette and Zelos? I know that Colette left to take care of Zelos, but… going out? Isn't that weird, considering what happened between them?"

Sheena shook her head. "It isn't our business. They seemed to have worked out everything, so it doesn't really matter, does it? Besides… this isn't the same Zelos that we once knew."

Lloyd tilted his head, confused. "What do you mean? Zelos is Zelos, isn't he?"

She shook her head again. "Ever since our fight at the Tower of Salvation, Colette says that he hasn't been the same, and it really shows. I was so surprised by how he acted! He was, well… a gentleman. He didn't crack one bad joke and didn't make a single crude comment about females. It was amazing."

Lloyd blinked. Could this be true? Sure he had talked to Zelos since coming back from the fight with Abyssion, but for any length of time significant enough to notice a change of personality in him. Indeed, this Zelos that Sheena spoke of was not the man he once knew. Was it really the battle at the Tower of Salvation that changed Zelos so much? Lloyd didn't think so. He had a hunch that it was any care that the sweet-natured and easily forgiving Colette gave to Zelos was what changed him. Still, he found it hard to believe that such a quick transformation actually took place.

He shook his head. "I've just gotta see this for myself. Where are they at now?"

Sheena waved her hand in front of her. "That's why I came to find you. They've invited us over for dinner tonight."

Lloyd cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? Is everyone else coming too?"

She shook her head. "No. It's just going to be me, you, Colette, and Zelos."

Lloyd scratched his head. "Not even dad?" She shook her head again. "Huh… well, I guess if they say so. When are we supposed to go over?"

"They said around seven o'clock," Sheena said. "We need to get back to your house, get changed, and be back by then."

Lloyd scratched his head again. "Get changed? What's wrong with what we got on?"

Sheena lightly slapped her own face. "Ugh. Lloyd, we're being invited to dinner. This isn't like going over for snacks and lemonade. We should at least show our gratitude by looking nice."

Lloyd frowned. "Aww man. I hate dressing up."

Sheena folded her arms across her chest and tapped her foot. "Tough. All you have to do is wear the same outfit that you wore to the Meltokian ball. You'd liked that outfit, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but-" started Lloyd.

"Then it's settled!" exclaimed Sheena, interrupting him. "Head back over to your house and start getting ready. I'm going to the local store to see if they have any nice dresses I can buy."

Lloyd looked at her, puzzled. "Why don't you just wear the outfit that you wore to the ball?"

Sheena blushed and began to walk away. "I-I want to wear something a little more modest. Go on ahead without me. I'll be back at Dirk's with a new dress shortly." With that, she walked off.

Lloyd blinked a few times. "Something more modest?" He pondered this for a moment, then shook his head. "Ah, whatever. Must be a girl thing." With a shrug, he began to make his way toward the lightly traveled trail through the hills at the end of which lay his and Dirk's house.

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_Later that evening…_

"I know I've said this hundred times before, but-" started Lloyd, "you look absolutely beautiful, Sheena."

The young summoner blushed. Indeed, she was exceptionally stunning. While at the store, she had bought a simple yet beautifully made strap-less forest-green dress. It was far more modest than the outfit she wore to the ball, leaving only her shoulder-area and the upper half of her back exposed. In an unusual change of personal style, Sheena did not fix up her hair and, instead, let it flow freely down her back. As much as she didn't want to, she had forced herself to wear black high-heels. She initially had trouble walking in them but quickly adjusted. "Thank you Lloyd. You're even more handsome than usual."

Lloyd closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair with a grin. "Hehe, thanks."

They reached the lighted doorstep of Colette's and Lloyd knocked on the door. After a moment of waiting, the door opened, revealing a very beautiful Colette on the other side of it. She wore a dress very similar to Sheena's except that it did have straps and was sky-blue. It was also slightly longer than Sheena's, thus hiding what shoes she was wearing from view. Around her neck was a pendant that Lloyd had fashioned for her a while back which housed her Cruxis Crystal. Her smile warmed the hearts of her friends as she waved them inside. "Come in! Come in! I'm happy to see that you were able to make it." With everyone inside, she closed the door.

She hugged Lloyd and giggled. "Lloyd, you look so handsome in that suit! I have to admit that I'm surprised to see you in it though. Did Sheena make you wear it?" She grinned at him.

Lloyd turned red and scratched his head. "Ahaha… something like that."

Colette laughed again and moved to hug Sheena. "You look so beautiful Sheena! I wish I looked as good as you."

Before Sheena could protest what her friend had said, another voice interrupted her. "You are indeed lovely, Sheena. However, with all due respect, I have to say that my little angel has got you beat tonight."

Lloyd and Sheena looked beyond Colette to see an exceptionally handsome Zelos, golden wings fully extended, standing close to the dining table, already set with foods and beverages of all sorts. Colette turned around and said, "Zelos, you shouldn't say that!"

Zelos chuckled, walked slowly over to his friends, and took Sheena's hand with his good hand, kissing it as he did so. "Haha, just having some fun. In all seriousness, it's good to see both of you. Thanks for coming."

Sheena blushed and nodded. "It's good to see both of you too. Thank you for inviting us tonight."

Lloyd extended his hand and Zelos took it. They shook. "Any luck with trying to heal your arm or legs?"

Sheena's eyes widened and she jabbed her elbow into Lloyd's side. "Lloyd, don't ask him something like that!"

Zelos smiled and waved his good arm in front of him. Colette clung on to his paralyzed arm. "Hey, it's okay Sheena. He's just making sure I'm okay. To answer your question, I haven't had any luck lately. I'm afraid I may always be like this. It's not so bad though. I've actually kinda gotten used to it." He flapped his wings slowly. "For example, I use my wings to keep me light on my feet, thus allowing me to walk around far more easily than before. The arm, well…" He looked down at Colette, smiled, and wrapped his good arm around her. "As long as I have one arm to hold Colette with, that's good enough for me." He bent down a bit and kissed Colette on the top of her head.

She looked up at him, a sad look in her eyes. "Zelos…"

He gently pulled away from Colette and walked back toward the table. "C'mon guys, enough of this kinda talk. I'm starving! Let's sit down and eat already!"

Lloyd leaned slightly over toward Sheena and whispered. "Whew. For a second there, I thought that this really wasn't our Zelos."

Sheena elbowed him in the ribs again and the three angels joined Zelos at the table.

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"Burp!" belched Lloyd loudly. "That was great Colette!"

Sheena punched him in the arm. "Lloyd, try to use some manners!"

Lloyd his poor arm which had been the victim of seventeen punches, all of which were caused by Sheena. "S-sorry."

Colette giggled and stood up as she began to collect the plates. I'm happy to hear that you liked it Lloyd."

Zelos wiped his mouth and dispersed his own words of praise. "Oh yeah, good eatin'. Need some help with the dishes Colette?"

Sheena began to stand up. "Yeah Colette. We wouldn't mind helping you."

Colette waved her hands and smiled. "It's okay, I'll do it. It won't take but a few minutes to do. Thank you very much though." With that, she took up the rest of the plates and made her way to the kitchen.

It was after Colette left that Zelos began to look toward the entrance of the kitchen. Curious, Lloyd asked, "Something wrong Zelos?"

He turned back to his friends. "Just making sure that she can't hear us."

Sheena stared at him strangely. "'Making sure she can't hear us'? What do you mean?"

Zelos only half-smiled as he took a spoon still remaining on the table and began to stir his drink with it. "The truth is that the dinner was my idea. I wanted a chance to be able to talk to you guys without making Colette suspicious."

Now confused himself, Lloyd asked, "Suspicious of what?"

Zelos sighed and looked back up at his friends. "I'll keep it short and sweet. If… no, _when_ you guys defeat Nebilim, I'm going to go on a quest by myself to see if there's any way to save my legs and arm."

Both Lloyd and Sheena gasped. "What? But I thought-" started Sheena.

Zelos shook his head. "I only said that before so Colette wouldn't worry about me. I'm not being selfish. I'm really not. I want to do this for Colette."

Lloyd shook his head, confused. "For Colette?"

Zelos nodded. "I know it hasn't been very long, but… I want to ask Colette to marry me."

Both Lloyd's and Sheena's jaws dropped. "You wanna marry Colette!" asked Lloyd, astonished.

Zelos nodded again. "I even had Dirk make an engagement ring for me to give to Colette. I offered to pay him back later but refused."

"Alright," started Sheena, "but does Colette know about this? And what does it have to do with your arm and legs?"

Zelos shook his head. "She doesn't know about this because… I'm not going to ask her to marry me until either I can heal myself or I know for sure that there is no cure."

"But why?" asked Sheena.

Zelos looked down at the table. He appeared to be choking back a few tears. "B-because she shouldn't have to take care of a cripple!"

Neither Lloyd nor Sheena knew what to say in response to this. Zelos continued on as he let his head hit the table. "Look at me! How can I begin to be a good husband to someone as good as her when I can't even do simple things? I won't be able to hold her with both arms. I won't be able to run around or dance with her for any decent amount of time. What about defending her? I nearly lost my life just trying to kill a Lesser Ogre! What if something worse comes along? A-and what if…" He did his best to pull himself together and look at his friends. "What if we have a kid? Not only will I also not be able to hold it, but I won't be able to run around and play with it. There… there's just no way I could handle that."

Lloyd knew he didn't have the right words but he knew that he had to say something. "Zelos, I understand why you're thinking that way, but all of that stuff shouldn't matter. I'm sure Colette would say 'yes' to your proposal no matter what."

Zelos nodded. "I know she would. But… I still want this for her and, well, I guess for myself as well. Maybe it is selfish, I don't know."

Sheena finally decided to say something. "There's no way we can stop you from doing this, but I still have to ask why you're going alone?"

Zelos finally smiled once again. "It's meant to be a surprise for her. When I get back, I'll propose to her. Plus, I feel that I have to do this on my as a way of atoning for what I did in the past."

"Zelos…" said Sheena.

Smiling as cheerily as ever, Colette came back into the dining room and sat back down next to Zelos. She took notice of the somber looks on everyone's faces and wondered what was wrong. "Hmm? Did something bad happen while I was gone?"

Zelos began to chuckle. "Oh it's nothing. We were having a, uh… three-way staring contest. They're just upset that they keep losing. Right guys?"

Knowing what he was getting at, both Lloyd and Sheena nodded. "Yeah. I think Zelos cheats," said Lloyd.

The four of them shared a laugh, although only Colette's was authentic. After that tense moment, the four friends spent the rest of the evening talking the night away.

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Hmm. Turned out a little differently than I had anticipated. Ah well, hope you liked it all the same. I hope that this is the worst of my pre-battle chapters (not that I hope it's bad… there's a difference) as this was the chapter I was least looking forward to writing, for I wasn't sure how to go about a Lloyd/Sheena/Zelos/Colette scene. I'm sure many of you were expecting Sheloyd fluff in this chapter but I ask you to please be patient. It's building up. 4 chapters from now, I hope to present to all of you what I hope is one of the greatest Sheloyd moments ever seen on Anyway, thanks for reading, and thank you kindly in advance for any and all reviews! Stay tuned for chapter 20 as Sheena finally confronts the object of all of her nightmares: Volt.

Oh, and in case you hadn't heard, the first chapter of "Crossing the Bridge" (RegalXRaine) is up! Check it out if you haven't already!


	20. Courage

A/N: Twenty chapters. Wow. Never thought that Unconditional Love would turn out to be this long. And we still have a ways to go. Many thanks to all of my supporters, both new and consistent. As I've said in the past, it's your willingness to read my works that fuels my will to write. Looking at the new advanced stats feature, I can see that UL is on two C2s, is on the alert list of 12 people, and is on the favorites list of 49 people. 49! I am deeply honored! For all y'all who have UL as a favorite but haven't reviewed yet, please drop me a line sometime!

Anyway, on with the story!

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Chapter 20: Courage

Sheena looked around her surroundings, making sure that the spot was suitable for what she was about to do. She had found a small clearing in the woods behind Colette's house, an area that hopefully wouldn't attract too much attention. It was a quiet spot and only received small amounts of both sunlight and moonlight. Satisfied with the environment around her, Sheena nodded and prepared to do what she came to do: summon Volt and try to talk to him using the knowledge of the ancients.

Her friends might have wondered why she chose to do this, let-alone do it alone. She could have done this a long time ago with the help of Raine. Knowing full-well that she was deathly afraid of Volt, any of her friends would have been willing to stand at her side while she did this. In fact, why was she doing this, they would wonder. The answer was simple: she had to know why Volt went berserk, not once, but twice.

She _had_ to do this alone. She felt that she had to be able to face the subject of her worst fears and nightmares without help from anyone. This was nothing against her friends, of course. It was just a feeling she had, after-all. She hoped that, if anyone did find out about this, nobody would be offended. She felt particularly bad about not telling Lloyd about this. He would have without a doubt stood by her and done everything in his power to ward off her fears.

She shook her head. This was no time to be worrying about such things. She felt that she was merely stalling. Was it out of fear? Of course it was. She was scared to death of Volt. With every passing second, she began to fell more and more just how much of a bad idea this was. At one point, she had even turned back towards Colette's house, ready to return back to her friends who were probably worried about her by now. However, after reiterating to herself that this had to be done so she could rest easily for the first time in almost a decade, she quickly turned back to the clearing and prepared to summon Volt.

She drew a single card from her side-pack and stared at it for the better part of a minute. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and grasped the card with both hands. The circle of power that always appeared beneath her during her summons did so once again as she began to chant. "I call upon the hammer of godly might! I summon thee! Come, Volt!"

Throwing down the card she was holding produced a great flash of light, just as it always did. When the light subsided, Volt floated a mere fifteen feet away from her. It's large, red eyes blinked as it eyed the Grand Summoner. Arcs of lightning coursed all over the mighty summon spirit as it prepared to speak in its ancient tongue.

(A/N: Volt's words will be in italics, since his words are still in his own language and are only translated in Sheena's mind.)

_"What is your wish, Grand Summoner?"_

Sheena was now overwhelmed with fear. She took a step back, only to trip backwards, leaving her to look up at the powerful Summon Spirit. "A-ah!" She shut her eyes tightly and began to shake her head furiously. "I can't do this! I can't do this!" she kept repeating to herself over and over again. She wanted to cry out for help but couldn't utter a single coherent word.

To her great surprise, a strong, reassuring hand rested itself upon Sheena's shoulder. Her eyes shot open as she felt this. Looking back at the owner of the hand, she discovered that it was Lloyd. He smiled down at her as he offered her his hand. "Need a hand?" he asked.

Still fear-struck, she immediately took his hand, pulled herself up, and got as close to Lloyd as she could. "I can't do this Lloyd! I just can't!"

Lloyd cocked an eyebrow, confused. "Eh? Can't do what Sheena?"

Breaking into a low-whisper, she replied, "I-I want to ask Volt why he went berserk-"

"But you're afraid, right?" asked Lloyd, finishing her sentence.

She nodded. "I wanted to be able to do this by myself. I keep having nightmares about this and I want them to go away, but now, I…I just can't do it!"

Lloyd held Sheena close to himself and rocked her gently from side-to-side. "Alone? Don't be silly Sheena. That's what you have your friends around for." He paused. "That's why you have me around."

She looked into his brown eyes and nodded slowly. "Y-yes of course. I'm sorry Lloyd."

He shook his head and smiled. "Don't be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong. Now then, let's do this. If I woulda known that you were having nightmares about this, I would've made you do this _much_ sooner. The last thing I want is to see you in any kind of pain."

Most of the fear washed away from Sheena's face as she smiled sweetly at Lloyd. "Lloyd…"

He nodded. "Go ahead. I don't think anything will happen, but if it does-" He pounded his fists together and flashed a confident grin. "-I'll make 'im regret messing with you."

Nodding back, she turned back around and took a few steps toward Volt. She composed herself and took a deep breath. "Volt?"

_"Yes Grand Summoner?"_

Lloyd blinked. "Wow, that's cool! I can even understand him now!" Realizing that he had temporarily forgotten the purpose of his being there, he shook his head and said, "Go ahead Sheena."

Another deep breath. She was unbelievably nervous, even with Lloyd there. "Calm down Sheena," she told herself. "Just get through this and you might be able to rest more easily. It's like Lloyd said back at Volt's Temple: I can't live forever in Volt's shadow or else he'll haunt me for the rest of my days." Yet another deep breath. "Well, here goes nothing." Looking dead into Volt's ominously red eyes, she said, "Volt, I demand to know why you went berserk, not once, but twice. What caused you to lose your faith in the people of Symphonia?"

_"…"_

Sheena took a step back. "V-Volt! Why won't you answer me?"

Not saying anything but assuming the worst, Lloyd drew his Material Blades and readied himself.

Sheena called out to Volt once more. "Volt!"

_"As you already know, I formed a pact with Mithos Yggdrasil four-thousand years ago and served him for many years after that."_

Hearing this, Lloyd slowly re-sheathed his blades. "Whew," he thought to himself.

Sheena nodded nervously. "G-go on."

_"With the other Summon Spirits of Symphonia, we managed to bring an end to the ancient Kharlan War between the hemispheres of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. We all had so much trust in Mithos and his companions. We had never before been bound to anyone, thus proving just how powerful he was. We had hoped he would continue to use this power for good. We were wrong." _

Lloyd walked forward and stood next to Sheena, his eyes darting back and forth between her and the mighty Summon Spirit as he did so.

_"Some time after the end of the Kharlan War, Mithos' sister, Martel, was killed by a group of anti-sylvanites, a group of individuals who held an unpopular (at the time) belief that half-elves were not to be trusted and should be ousted from society.. After his sister's passing, Mithos slowly began to turn for the worse. It started with his slaughter of those who had killed his sister. Not knowing what prompted the slaughter of the anti-sylvanites, people all over Symphonia who caught wind of this news grew to dislike half-elves as well. As the atrocities continued, so did the hatred of the half-elves. This all eventually led to the rise of the Desians and the constant racism against half-elves."_

Sheena closed her eyes. "So that's why…" She nodded. "Please continue Volt."

_"We could not begin to feel the grief that Mithos experienced after the death of his sister. Despite this, we had hoped that he would not do something so rash as to begin slaughtering anti-sylvanites. The killings may have been justified initially, but the aftereffects completely nullified the justification. As such, Mithos dishonored his vows with the Summon Spirits and his pacts with us were considered to be void. It is for this reason that we lost our faith in the sentient life of Symphonia." _

Taking another deep breath,Sheena took one step forward and asked, "But why would you hurt people who had nothing to do with those events four-thousand years later?"

_"Simple. I did not want our powers to fall into the wrong hands once again. The other Summon Spirits were quick to trust you, but I was not. I would not allow myself to be used as an instrument of wanton destruction once again. In order to defend Symphonia, I felt that the destruction of all those who sought my power must be eliminated." _

Sheena looked down. "To protect Symphonia? From us?"

_"As I said, I could not take a chance on trusting you. However, after seeing not only your companion Lloyd defend you but also Verius sacrifice his physical form in order to protect you from me, I began to wonder if maybe you really were good people. Unsure of what to think, I held back during our fight. I thought I would give the people of Symphonia one last chance to earn my trust." _

Lloyd and Sheena grasped Sheena hands as she continued. "You held back?"

_"Indeed. Since Verius is the Summon Spirit of the heart, he could peer into your very soul and instantly tell that you were not like Mithos. When I saw what he did, I knew I at least had to give you a chance." _

Lloyd looked over at his lover. "Verius again."

She nodded. "Just how long has he been protecting us?"

_"Verius has great faith in both of you. Never before has he seen such a compatible couple of sentient beings. He fully believes that the two of you will be able to do more for Symphonia than Mithos, his companions, or even the Summon Spirits could ever do. I want you to know that, no matter what, you will have my full support. I hope you will grow to trust me. Now, I have something that I wish to say to you, Grand Summoner." _

Sheena looked at Volt strangely. "W-what is it?"

_"I am truly sorry for any pain I have caused you. Had I known sooner what you were truly capable of, I would have never brought harm to you or those you cared so much for." _

Sheena could not believe what she just heard. Volt… apologized? It seemed too radical to be real. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that Volt would ever apologize for what he did, even if it was in what he thought was Symphonia's best interests. "Volt, I-"

_"You don't have to say anything, Grand Summoner. Just know that I'm always ready to serve you and Symphonia should you ever need me."_

She nodded. "T-thank you Volt. That is all."

That said, a bright flash of light flooded through the small clearing in the woods and, when the light subsided, Volt was nowhere to be seen.

Lloyd smiled and held both of her hands in his own. "You did it Sheena! I knew you could!"

Tears streamed down Sheena's cheek as she smiled back at Lloyd. "I did, didn't I?" She gently rested her head on Lloyd's chest as she sobbed. "Thank you Lloyd. Thank you for being here with me."

The two said nothing for a moment. Both were glad that this was now behind them. Sheena raised her head and locked eyes with Lloyd.

Still smiling, Lloyd kissed Sheena on the forehead. "C'mon, everyone's probably wonderin' where we are. Don't want 'em to worry, eh? Besides, you'll need to get some rest. Remember, we have to transfer the Eternal Sword to my Angel Arm tomorrow."

She nodded and the two walked back towards Colette's house, hand in hand. Sheena took one last back at the clearing where she had summoned Volt and whispered, "Thank you Volt."

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Little longer than I thought. I'm sure most people were expecting this answer but I hope it was sufficient all the same. Remember, lemme know if you wanna see a little Gesea one-shot or not. Thanks in advance for any and all reviews! Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	21. Heart to Heart

A/N: Woo! Chapter 21 is upon us! Time for a little father and… "daughter" bonding. Thanks for the massive flow of reviews I've received lately!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank one reader in particular: Lloyd Irving Aurion. I've looked through all of my pages of reviews and he is the only one who has been with me from the beginning and has left a review for every single chapter thus far. Also, he has helped me out and supported me on numerous occasions. Thanks for all the time you've given me man, and I especially hope you enjoy the rest of the story.

Anyway, on with the show! This chapter as well as the two after this one all take place on the same day: the last day before our heroes set out to destroy Nebilim. Enjoy!

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Chapter 21: Heart-to-Heart

_…I wish that I didn't have to convey my support for both of you like this, and I'm sorry that it had to come to this. I hope that you can both forgive me for- _

Kratos' eyes shot open as he heard the knock at his door. Without looking away from what he was writing, he said, "Come in."

The door opened and he immediately recognized the sound of Sheena's footfalls. Obviously not expecting her, he scrambled to put what he was writing in one of the drawers of the desk he was sitting at. Afterward, he stood up and turned to greet her. "Sheena?"

She smiled sweetly at him. "Hello Kratos. What'cha writin'?"

He turned back to the desk slowly and eyed the drawer that he stuffed whatever he was writing into it. "Eh? O-oh. It's n-nothing."

Sheena titled her head, curious. "Did he just stutter?" she asked herself. "He never stutters. Maybe something's wrong." Dropping the subject of his writing, she asked him, "Are you okay, Kratos? You sound as if something's wrong."

Relieved that she dropped the subject of his writing, he shook his head and chuckled. "Ah, haha, I apologize. I suppose that I'm just nervous about tomorrow."

Sheena's smile lessened a bit. "That's right… we leave to fight Nebilim tomorrow, don't we?"

He nodded. "Indeed."

"Scared?" she asked. "I know I am." She walked over to and sat on the bed in Kratos' temporary room. "Scared doesn't even begin to describe it. I'm terrified, quite honestly. Even with Verius and the Angel Arms, I don't think we… don't think that we…"

Kratos walked over and sat next to Sheena, placing his strong left hand on her slender shoulder. "Don't talk like that. We're going to win tomorrow and we're all going to come home safe and sound with everyone intact. You got that?"

Sheena smiled weakly and looked down at her boots. "It's funny."

"What is?" asked Kratos.

Sheena first pointed to herself, then to Kratos. "Look at us. We're sitting here talking like we've known each other for years."

Kratos cocked an eyebrow. "Is there a problem with that?"

She shook her head. "Of course not. Like I said, it's funny. It was only a few months ago when I was on my mission to assassinate Colette. When I first met you and Lloyd, I was trying to kill both of you."

"Keyword: trying," said Kratos with a grin.

Sheena put her hands on her hips as soon as she heard this. "Is that a challenge?"

"Heh. Maybe," said Kratos confidently.

Sheena chuckled. "Hmph. Just because you have four-thousand years of experience on me doesn't mean that I can't beat you."

Kratos nodded, a serious look on his face. "You may be more right than you know."

She stared at the powerful seraphim, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Kratos looked down, a look of disappointment crossing his face. "I believe I can no longer be considered your superior or even your equal. With Lloyd's Eternal Sword and your completion of the circle of Summon Spirits, I don't believe I can match either of you in sheer power now. With just a couple more years of worldly experience, both you and Lloyd will be, in a word, unstoppable. No foe, not even Nebilim, would stand a chance against your combined powers. You both have become very powerful. I'm very proud of you Sheena."

Sheena smiled warmly and hugged Kratos. "Thanks dad."

Kratos' eyes shot open once he heard this. "Dad?"

Sheena pulled away from Kratos as shades of crimson began to flood her soft cheeks. "I-I'm sorry!" said Sheena apologetically. "I-I just…" She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Kratos, for as long as we've all been together, you've been like the parent-figure of the group, even more so than Professor Raine or Regal. When we had to fight you in the Tower of Salvation, we were heart-broken."

Kratos said nothing as he let all of the words sink in. She continued. "Of course, even after everything we all went through, you still came and save us from Mithos and his traps in the Great Seed Chamber. Ever since then, I honestly feel that we have done nothing but get closer and closer as we continue on with our lives. I-… I feel that I'm at the point where I want to look at you like the father I never had."

"Sheena…" said Kratos.

She waved her hands. "I knew how close to my heart you were when Verius protected not only me and Lloyd but you as well with the Heart Barrier. That being said, even if the feelings aren't mutual, I look upon you as my father, even if it is only in spirit."

"Sheena, I… I don't know what to say," said Kratos with difficulty.

"You don't have to say anything," replied Sheena. "Except for one thing. I, ah… need you to answer a very important question for me."

"What is it?" asked the seraphim.

Sheena swallowed a lump in her throat and began to speak. "W-would it be alright if, ah… if I called you dad from now on?"

"Dad?" Kratos asked himself. "She wants to call me "dad"?" He couldn't believe that she had just asked that. He was overjoyed to hear her ask, but it still felt so strange to him. If nothing else, this was a title reserved for when she and Lloyd-

"Sheena," started Kratos, "I would be honored to be called "dad" by you, even if the title is only in spirit."

Obviously happy with her "father's" response, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him as tightly as she could. "Thank you! Now I really do have a father!"

Kratos closed his eyes and hugged back. "I must admit that Anna and I have always wanted a daughter after we had Lloyd, but I'm glad it wasn't you."

Sheena pulled away, seemingly hurt by what he said. "W-what?"

Kratos grinned. "What? Have you forgotten about Lloyd already?"

Sheena's hurt expression rapidly melted away and was replaced by a very heart-felt smile. "Oh yeah… heh."

Both "father" and "daughter" laughed heartily for almost an entire minute before Sheena started to settle down. "Hehe, whew. Speaking of Lloyd, since this is our last day here, I-…" She blushed. " I think I'm going to spend the rest of the day with him."

Kratos held up his right hand. "Wait."

"What is it?" asked Sheena.

"I need to talk with Lloyd one last time before we head out tomorrow," said Kratos. "Now, since I don't want to interrupt your time together with Lloyd, I would like to be able to see him first, if that is alright with you."

She nodded. "Okay then… dad. Can you please tell me when you're finished with Lloyd?"

"Even better," started Kratos, "I'll send Lloyd to find you. Where will you be during the next hour?"

Sheena brought a hand to her chin as she thought. "Hmm, good question. I might just go hang out with some of the younger kids. Besides, I promised that I'd play with them one last time before we left."

Kratos nodded. "Very well then. I'll be sure that he finds you."

She nodded back. "Alright then. I… guess I'll see you tomorrow then, huh?"

"Indeed," he replied. "Be sure to get plenty of rest tonight. We have a big day ahead of us."

Sheena hugged Kratos on last time before she turned to walk out. "Have a good evening… dad."

He smiled. "You too, Sheena. Have fun tonight. And Sheena?"

"Yes?" she asked.

"Thank you for taking the time to just come and chat with me. It means a lot to me," he said.

She smiled. "Thank you Kratos… for everything." With that, she closed the door behind her, leaving Kratos alone once again.

A moment later, Kratos turned back to his desk, sat down, and began working on what he was writing later. After a few more minutes of writing, Kratos set down his pen and withdrew an envelope from another drawer. Folding the paper that he wrote upon, he placed it neatly within the envelope. He then reached into his pocket, withdrew two small objects, and placed them within the envelope. Finally, he sealed the envelope and wrote something on the front of it.

As the sun set outside, Kratos' gaze kept switching from the envelope to the beautiful view outside of his window. He sighed and placed the envelope in the top-most drawer and stood up once again. "I pray that I will not need this." He reopened the door and, just before stepping out, he looked back at the desk. "I pray… that I am wrong." He closed the door and set off to look for Lloyd.

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Yes, it is a short chapter, but I said it would be a couple chapters back so… anyway, I hope you liked it all the same. Just one more chapter before what I hope is the Sheloyd scene to beat all Sheloyd scenes (I'm sure it won't be that good, but I'll try my damndest anyway). Thanks for any and all reviews!

P.S. Does anyone out there have a complete list of Sheena's summon chants? You know, like, "I call upon the maiden of the mist!" and stuff lie that. I'd really appreciate it if someone could help me with that.

P.S.S. I have plans for yet another ToS story… or rather, stories. However, it's unlike anything you've prolly ever seen before. Anyway, it's called "What if…: Mysteries of Symphonia" All the details for it can be found in my profile page. Anyway, if you would like to see this, let me know. Perhaps even more importantly, you have a "What if…?" to suggest, please let me know via reviews, email (preferred) or AIM. Anyone whose ideas I use will get full credit and a shout-out before each story. Thanks!


	22. All in the Family

A/N: SOOO sorry for not updating sooner! I've been trying to make a habit of updating every two weeks, but work has been murder lately, and as we all know, work sucks. 'nuff said 'bout that.

Okay, this is the last chapter before the big Sheloyd chapter I promised everyone. Whew… anyway, in this chapter, there's going to be some father and son bonding, with not only Kratos and Lloyd, but Dirk as well. Hope you like it!

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Chapter 22: All in the Family

Lloyd shot a cold glare across the table at Dirk. For too many years, Lloyd had lost to Dirk at Dwarven Blackjack, a card game that the dwarf had played since his youth. Dirk was very good at this particular game of luck and Lloyd never could understand why he himself could never win. However, this time was different. Never before had he obtained so many points in a game without going over twenty-one. Seventeen points were showing with nine cards on the table; five up, four down. Lloyd knew that most of the high numbered cards in the deck were gone, making his odds of going over twenty-one fairly low even if he did fail to call odds or evens.

Lloyd took a deep breath. "Hit me."

Dirk drew a card and eyed it without showing it to Lloyd. "Odds or evens?"

Lloyd closed his eyes in an attempt to get a feel for the card. He always believed that Dirk knew how to do this but he never could get it right himself. Still, it was too late to turn back now. He had to give it a shot. "Evens."

Dirk grinned as he laid down a five. "Too bad Lloyd. I'm adding that to your seventeen to make it twenty-two. You bust, you lose."

Lloyd pounded his fist on the table. "Damnit! I lost again! How do you do that?"

Dirk gathered the cards back up. "Easy. I play off your greed for more points. I was nowhere near you in terms of total points. You could've stayed and probably won."

"Grr…" Lloyd sighed and began to laugh. "Oh well. One of these days I'll get ya. You'll see."

"Heh, don't be so sure of that laddie," said Dirk as he put the cards back in their box.

Lloyd noticed what Dirk was doing and became puzzled. "Eh? We're not going to play again?"

Dirk shook his head. "No, not yet anyway. We need to talk."

"What about, dad?" asked Lloyd.

The old dwarf sighed. "Lloyd, you don't have to call me dad anymore. You have Kratos now."

A short silence followed before Lloyd said, "So?"

"Lloyd…"

Lloyd shook his head. "You raised me as your own for fifteen of my seventeen years of life. Kratos may be my real father, but you've spent far more time with me than he has. You taught me everything I know. If it wasn't for you, how could I have made all of the key crests and stuff that we used on our journey? It's because you've been such a great father to me that I've become who I am now. I love both you and Kratos, and I think of both of you as my dad. However, you'll always have a special place in my heart as the man, er, dwarf, that raised me."

Another moment of silence. Dirk smiled and at his "son" and chuckled. "Lloyd, I could not have asked for a greater compliment than that. You make me feel like I've done something great with my life. I'm very proud of you Lloyd. My only regret is that you are not in all senses of the word my son. Still, I'll gladly settle for what I've got."

Lloyd's face turned red. "Ah, hehe, thanks dad. That's nice of you."

"Aye laddie, you're more than deserving of it," said Dirk. "Now then, on to what I wanted to talk to you about…"

"Go ahead"

"Lloyd, I…" Dirk sighed. "Are you sure you want to go through with this tomorrow?"

"Dad?"

Dirk shook his head. "I mean, the legends say that we can live under the protection of the summon spirits forever right?"

"Yeah, but…"

"Then it means that it's not necessary for any of you to go and fight Nebilim tomorrow. We've lived in and around Iselia for your entire life so far. What would be so bad about continuing life like this? There's no need to throw away your lives."

Lloyd closed his eyes. "I know what you're saying dad, but I just can't do that. Think about all of the people in the world that were killed by Nebilim when they couldn't make it to one of the temples. Think about the people that are hiding in temples in remote regions with little food or water. Celsius' ice cave? Gnome's underground cavern? Efreet's desert temple? These aren't very good places to live life at. We're one of the few lucky towns that live so close to a temple that's on good terrain. Lots of trees, streams, fields… sure, we could live forever, but most everyone else couldn't." He reopened his eyes. "I could never forgive myself if I just let those people die."

Dirk sighed. "Then what about Sheena? Are you willing to risk her for the sake of the world? The more I think about, this is starting to sound like the journey of World Regeneration. Remember when you were forced to choose between Colette and the world?"

Lloyd couldn't believe what he just heard. "W-what? Dad, how can you even compare this situation to that?"

"Because it's so similar. That's why."

"No dad, there's a difference this time." Lloyd folded his arms. "This time, we know what we're getting ourselves into. We all know the risks. We don't want to die, but we're willing to risk our lives for the sake of Symphonia."

"Lloyd, listen to me! You don't even have a chance! There's only three of you, and it took nine seraphim to just seal Nebilim, let alone destroy him! I don't want to see you dead!"

"You won't see him dead," said Kratos.

The old dwarf and Lloyd turned to the doorway in which stood the powerful hero of ancient times.

"Kratos?" said Dirk.

"Now will you see Sheena like that. That's a promise," said Kratos with a nod.

"What about you dad?" asked Lloyd.

"…of course," said Kratos, a hint of doubt in his voice. "I already promised Sheena that we will all return safely: me, you, and Sheena. I will make the same promise to the both of you."

Dirk stood up, still upset with what was going on. "How can you be so sure?"

Kratos closed his eyes. "I just know. Trust me."

Dirk sighed and sat back down. "So you won't back down, will ya?"

Kratos shook his head. "No. I know you're worried about Lloyd and Sheena, but they're doing this of their own will. You have only yourself to blame for instilling such a strong sense of justice into Lloyd."

A long silence followed. Finally, Dirk began to chuckle. "Haha, ya got me there Kratos. Dwarven Vow number seven: Justice and Love will always win."

Kratos nodded with a smile. "And we have both on our side."

Still laughing, Dirk shook his head and said, "Alright, you two win. Just try not to make this old dwarf worry so much, will ya?"

Lloyd walked and hugged his dwarven foster-father. "You got it dad."

"Lloyd?" said Kratos.

"Yeah dad?" replied Lloyd.

"I need to speak with you for a moment, but first, let's step outside."

"Why?"

Kratos smirked as he stepped outside. "For a friendly duel. What else for?"

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"Sorry Kratos, but I'm rooting for Lloyd," said Dirk.

The seraphim nodded. "Naturally. I wouldn't have it any other way." He turned to his son. "Are you ready?"

Lloyd was having a hard time deciding which set of swords he was going to use: the Valkyries strapped on his back or the Material Blades on his sides. The decision finally came down to the fact that the Valkyries were weaker than the Material Blades and this was just a friendly duel, so he went with those. He drew the wide-blades and pointed the right one and Kratos. "Ready."

Kratos drew his simplistic silver sword and clanked it against his shield. "Then come at me. Let's see if you still have what it takes to beat me!"

"Here I come!" yelled Lloyd as he charged his father, blades flowing from side-to-side behind him as he ran.

Once Lloyd was within striking distance, he swung his blades horizontally fashion, similar to that of a pair of scissors. Kratos easily deflected the fierce attack by deflecting one of the blades with his shield and the other with his own sword. "Too sloppy Lloyd!" He shoved his shield towards Lloyd and bashed him in the chest with it.

"Oof!" grunted Lloyd as he stumbled backwards. "Attacking with a shield? That's cheap!"

"So is using two weapons," said Kratos with a grin.

"Bah!" Lloyd twirled around and smacked Kratos' sword arm with the side of his Valkyrie, causing the seraphim to stumble himself. "How's that?"

"Not bad!" He took a few steps back and raised his shield. He whispered a few words and from the shield came three fireballs.

"Magic? Yeesh!" Thinking quickly, Lloyd planted both of the Valkyries into the ground and drew his blades of fire and ice, the Material Blades. He crossed them into an "X" pattern and absorbed the fireballs into the blades. "Heh. Nice try." He sheathed the blades and drew the Valkyries from the ground.

"Quick thinking Lloyd. You've vastly improved your technique since we last fought."

"You haven't seen anything yet!" Lloyd dashed at Kratos once again and Kratos prepared himself for the coming blow. However, this time, Lloyd tried something completely different. When he was only five feet away from Kratos, he plunged one of his Valkyries into the ground and used it as like pole-vault to launch himself over Kratos. Wasting no time, Lloyd quickly wheeled around and smacked Kratos in the back with the very wide side of the Valkyrie, sending Kratos to the ground. He walked over to Kratos and pointed his sword at the face-down angel. "I win."

"Heh." Kratos swept his leg like a hook, catching Lloyd's leg, and tripping him up, sending him to the ground. Wasting no time himself, Kratos quickly recovered from his won fall, turned around, and pinned Lloyd to the ground with his own shield and held the hilt of his blade close to Lloyd's throat. "It's never over until it's over. You are still too inexperienced."

Both father and son stared at each for a moment before they both burst into fits of laughter. Kratos slowly got off of his son, sheathed his blade, and offered his hand. Lloyd took it and stood up, dusting himself off as he did so.

Kratos walked over to the Valkyrie still planted into the ground. "That was a clever move Lloyd. You've learned to make great use of more than two blades at once. Very impressive." He drew the blade from the ground and tossed it to Lloyd who promptly sheathed it."

The two turned when they heard Dirk clapping. "Aye, a fight the likes of which I've never seen! Better luck next time Lloyd!"

The three shared another laugh but was followed by silence. They knew that this would be the last time they got to spend time together before the battle against Nebilim tomorrow. What if they didn't make it back? They couldn't ever have fun like this ever again.

Kratos wiped the sweat from his brow. "Now Lloyd, for what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Yeah dad?" said Lloyd.

Kratos walked over and put a hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "We've already discussed what's going to happen tomorrow. Do you have any questions about that?"

Lloyd shook his head. "Nope."

"Good, then that means you won't have to stick around here."

"Huh?"

"Sheena is waiting for you."

"She is?"

Kratos nodded. "She wanted to spend some time with you earlier, but I asked her to wait until I was done with you. I didn't want to interrupt your time together."

Lloyd blushed. "Dad!"

"He's right laddie," said Dirk. "This is your last night before the fight against Nebilim. You need to quit hanging old goats like us and spend some time with your lady. I don't want to sound negative, but this may be your last chance to do so?"

Kratos nodded again. "He's right Lloyd. For all intents and purposes, you are her knight. No matter what happens tomorrow, you are to put her safety above everything else. If forced to choose between her and myself, you **_will_** choose her. Do you understand?"

"Dad!" cried Lloyd. "How can you say that?"

"Promise me Lloyd."

"…alright dad. I won't argue with you. Besides, you can obviously take care of yourself, so I probably won't have to worry about it."

"Good. Now, go to her Lloyd. She should be around the town square, playing with the children. She had promised that she would do so before she left tomorrow."

"Alright dad." Lloyd began to walk off but turned back to his fathers. "Thank you… both of you…for everything."

"Go Lloyd," said Kratos.

Dirk nodded. "You shouldn't keep a good woman waiting, laddie."

Lloyd nodded and walked off. Kratos turned to Dirk and said, "Dirk, we need to talk."

Dirk nodded. "I think I know what you're going to say. Let's go inside."

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Tiny bit short, I know (2,000+ words, A/Ns not counted) but it's still longer than the last chapter. Now for what everybody has been waiting for… the chapter that I will put more effort into than anything else I have ever done… the pre-battle Sheloyd chapter. I truly hope that I can live up to everyone's expectations. I really hope it doesn't suck. I don't wanna be shot, stabbed, and run over by my fans XX Seriously though, I will do my best, and I hope you'll enjoy it. To ensure a better than usual performance, I'm putting every other project on hold so I can solely concentrate on this one chapter. I'll try to have it done ASAP, so please be patient. I lost one of my faithful readers recently when he was discouraged by the fact that Namco seems to endorse Shelos. This chapter will be my stand against that endorsement. I hope to prove once and for all the Sheena and Lloyd are the best possible ToS couple. I hope he comes back to read this upcoming chapter. To everybody else, stay tuned. Don't forget, if anyone knows how to draw and is interested in doing pictured of the characters with their angel arms, please let me know via email or whatever. See ya:goes into hiding and locks himself in a vault:


	23. Ignore this chapter!

Ignore this chapter! I erased the old chapter 23 and replaced it with the real chapter 23! However, it won't let me accept reviews for people who already reviewed 23, so... chapter 23 is now chapter 24... I know it doesn't make snese, but just trust me on this one. Do not respond to this chapter! Respond to the next one. Thank you! Steve 


	24. Unconditional Love

A/N: Well, that was certainly depressing. Just when I was a mere day away from releasing the next chapter of UL, my (very long string of expletives and other such things that would make even Chris Rock feel offended) computer fries and with it goes all of my works in progress. Boo. As I said before, I'm terribly sorry about the delay. I've done my best to recreate this chapter to what it was before so I hope it won't disappoint y'all.

Okay, everyone knows what's gonna happen in this chapter so I'll skip the introduction. Many thanks go out to everyone who has read my fic thus far, especially to those who have been with me since the very beginning. A very special thanks goes out to Lloyd Irving Aurion whose one-shot, "A Fluffy Sheloyd Fic" gave me a lot of inspiration for, not only this chapter, but for the rest of UL as well! He's helped me to become a better writer and… yea! Thanks bro! Another very special thanks goes to Fan Fan Girl for the immense amounts of support she's given me lately. Thanks for always listening to my inane babbling

Just… thank you all from the bottom of my heart! I now proudly present to you…

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Chapter 23 (now 24): Unconditional Love

"Tag! You're it!" yelled a little girl as she tapped one of her friends on the shoulder.

The boy whirled around. "Aww man! I'm it again! How come Sheena hasn't been it for a while?"

"Because no one can catch me," said Sheena with a sly smile.

The boy shook his fist at the young woman. "Gah! I'll show you!" He recklessly charged at the ninja only to have her back-flip high into the air. Looking up, he saw that she was standing on the toes of her right foot on the very tip of one of the many laundry poles strewn throughout Iselia.

"Wow!" yelled one of the children with delight. "That was so cool!"

"H-how did you do that Sheena?" asked the astonished boy.

She giggled and wagged her right index finger. In a very terrible oriental accent, she said, "Ancient Mizuho secret!" With a wink, she hopped down from the pole. "Seriously though, it just takes practice. I'm sure you could do it if you tried hard enough."

Lloyd looked around the village square as he reached the bottom end of the trail leading to his house. Sheena could be seen running around with a number of the children from the village, participating in what appeared to be a game of tag. Off to the side on a bench were Zelos and Colette, their arms wrapped around each other as they watched Sheena play with the children. Seeing Lloyd, Colette waved him over and patted the seat of the bench. Accepting her invitation, he walked over and sat next to his friends. Sheena had not yet taken notice of him and continued to play with the children.

"Hey Lloyd! Whatcha been up to all day?" asked Colette in her usually sweet tone.

"Oh, you know, just been hangin' out with dad all day," he said. "Kratos stopped by the house and we had a friendly duel. It was pretty fun."

"You lost, didn't you?"

Lloyd's cheeks turned red. "Uh? What makes you say that?"

"Am I right?"

Lloyd fumed. "Hmph. Yea, you're right."

Colette and Zelos chuckled. One of the children that were involved in the game of tag ran over and began to tug on Colette's clothes. "C'mon Colette! Play with us! Please?"

She smiled. "Hehe. Okay then. You don't mind, do you Zelos?"

He shook his head. "Of course not. Go have fun darlin'. This gives me a chance to chat with my bud Lloyd anyway."

"Yay!" yelled the child with delight. "Everybody run! Here comes Colette!"

Giggling as she did so, Colette took off after the children and Sheena. Zelos ran his good hand through his hair and laughed. "Some people will never grow up."

"Is there something wrong with that?" asked Lloyd.

Zelos shook his head. "'Course not. I'm envious actually."

"Why? There's no reason why you can't cut loose and-…" It was then that Lloyd took notice of Zelos' limp arm and remembered his condition. "S-sorry."

"Heh, don't worry about it bud. I'm used to it now." He flexed his good arm and twisted it left and right. "I suppose I could still act like a kid if I really wanted to. Ah well, that's a topic for another day. I want to tell you something."

Lloyd tilted his head. "Eh? What is it?"

Zelos clenched his hand lightly. "I wanted to both apologize to you and thank you."

"Huh? What for?"

Zelos grinned. "I'm sorry for betraying the party at the tower. All I could think about at the time was myself. I was too blind to realize that you and the others really did trust me as a friend and… I'm just glad that you spared my life."

"Zelos, I-"

"That's not all Lloyd. As a result of all this, I'm now with the most wonderful girl in the world, er, no offense to Sheena."

"None taken, but Zelos-"

"No buts. For whatever reason, that wonderful girl took me in… cared for me… loved me. I didn't deserve such kindness but I got it anyway. Even while being crippled, I must truly be the most blessed man in the world. I truly hope that you win this battle Lloyd. I want to be able to care for her the rest of my life and to do that, I'll need to find a way to heal my limbs."

Lloyd put a hand on Zelos dead should and smiled. "Zelos, you don't need to be healed for that. As long as you've got your heart and soul, you can still take care of her. Besides, I heard about how you saved Iselia from a monster attack a couple of weeks ago."

"Y-you know about that?"

Lloyd laughed. "Sure do. That took some real guts Zelos."

"I got lucky."

"That's not true and you know it. Even in your current state, you can still take care of Colette."

"Still…"

"I know, I know. Don't worry, we'll win. Then you can go on your journey."

Zelos grinned again. "Thanks bud. You're a real pal." He turned his attention back to the game of tag. "We're pretty lucky, don't ya think?"

Lloyd nodded. "We sure are. I've got to do everything in my power to protect Sheena tomorrow. I think I'd die without her."

"Then what are you doing wastin' your time with me? This may be your last night together. Go show her a night she won't ever forget."

Lloyd nodded. "I intend to do just that." He stood up and began to walk to his lover before he turned back towards Zelos. "Thanks Zelos. I'll do my best for all of you tomorrow."

"Thanks bro. I hope you two have a good evening."

"Tag," said a sweet voice from behind Lloyd. Turning around, he saw Sheena standing right in front of him. She tapped him on the shoulder and said, "You're it!"

All of the children and Colette howled in wonder. "Wow!" exclaimed one of the children. "If anyone can catch Sheena, it's Lloyd! He's always been the best at tag!"

Sheena smirked. "Think you can catch me, tough guy?"

Lloyd rolled up his sleeves and rolled his neck. "We won't know until we try, right?"

"Right!" yelled Sheena as he began to run in the direction opposite of him.

Shortly afterward, Lloyd took off after the elusive summoner. "Oh you're goin' down. No one ever beats me in tag."

Everyone watched in delight as they watched the two lovers dash around the village in an attempt to better one another. Both were extremely fast but as the game dragged on, Lloyd began to slowly gain ground on Sheena.

"No good!" said Sheena to herself. "Gotta use my secret technique!" She turned around and dashed straight at Lloyd.

"What's she doing?" said Lloyd to himself. "Ah whatever. Time to prove that I'm the best!"

Just as the two were about to collide, Sheena yelled, "Shadow Phase!" In an amazing display of ancient Mizuhoan techniques, Sheena's body turned into nothing more than a blur as she literally passed through Lloyd's body and appeared on the opposite side of him.

Lloyd grinded his heels into the ground as a sort of brake system. He turned around, his mouth wide open in wonder. "Wah! What was _that_?"

Sheena smiled sweetly at him and folded her arms behind her back. "It's technique we used to practice as kids in Mizuho. Pretty neat, huh? It seems to be perfect for tag."

The children clapped in delight as Lloyd fumed. "Bah, that's no fair!"

She giggled. "Okay, I won't use it anymore. I promise." Having said that, she took off once again and Lloyd followed.

Another short chase ensued before Sheena took a wrong turn and found herself pinned in a dead-end. Lloyd grinned with delight. "All over Sheena. There's nowhere to run now."

"We'll see about that!" she turned back towards the wall and took a few steps back toward Lloyd.

Not wanting to waste any time, Lloyd made a final dash towards her, fully intent on ending this game with a victory. Just as he was about to grab her, she ran forward, placed one foot on the wall, and kick-flipped herself over the charging Lloyd. Unfortunately for Lloyd, he couldn't put on the brakes fast enough to stop himself from crashing into the wall.

Sheena landed and dusted off her hands. "Haha, that's that!"

Lloyd didn't budge.

"Okay Lloyd, time to get up and admit defeat."

He still didn't move.

"Lloyd?"

Nothing.

"Lloyd!" she ran over and began to shake him. "Hey, get up! Lloyd!"

He smiled and tapped her on the shoulder. "I win."

Sheena felt as if she could hear a million voices laughing at her as her face twisted into a look of utter disgust. After all of the ninja-training-styled maneuvers she used against Lloyd to win, she ended up falling for such a simple trick. It was embarrassing to say the least.

"Lloyd Irving! You little sneak! I oughta-"

"You look really cute when you're embarrassed, Sheena," said an overly cheerful Lloyd.

Sheena's disgust immediately melted away and was replaced by red cheeks when she heard this. "W-what?"

Lloyd stood up and offered his hand to Sheena. "Good game Sheena."

Sheena took his hand, stood up, and the two hugged. "Idiot," she whispered into his ear. "That was a dirty trick."

"It worked though, didn't it?" He smiled and kissed her on the cheek.

"Heh, I guess so." She returned the favor by kissing him quickly on the lips.

From behind them, several of the children were watching what was going on. Just like all kids do, when they saw the two kiss, they couldn't help but howl, "Woooooooo! Sheena and Llo-oyd sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

The two broke apart and began to scratch their heads. "Ehehe…" they laughed in broken unison. Their faces covered in crimson flush, they proceeded to walk past the children and towards Colette and Zelos.

"Who won?" asked Colette.

Without saying anything, Lloyd flexed his right arm as Sheena merely rolled her eyes. "Still the champ!" said Lloyd proudly.

"Did you act like you were hurt again?"

Sheena immediately turned to Lloyd and glared at him. "Oh really? So is this a regular tactic of yours?"

Colette giggled. "He used to always use that trick on me. I fell for it every time."

"Uh, hehe…" said Lloyd nervously. "Shall we call it a draw?"

"Hmph. I suppose so." Sheena folded her arms and half-grinned at Lloyd.

Zelos shook his head. "Personally, I woulda just kicked Lloyd and claimed victory for myself."

Everyone laughed. The children ran back over to the heroes and tried to coax them into another game of tag. Lloyd wanted to break away and take Sheena out for their night together but didn't know what to say.

"Now now," said Zelos abruptly. He stood up and his spectral wings flared to life. "I'm sure Lloyd and Sheena are tired. I, the Great Zelos, shall be your next opponent!" He looked over at Lloyd and Sheena and winked. "Have fun you two."

Lloyd nodded and held Sheena's hand. "C'mon Sheena. It's our last night together.

She nodded and walked alongside Lloyd. "Where are we going?"

"Zelos told me about this one spot above the village that he and Colette visited once. He says it's really nice up there."

"Sounds good. Let's go."

As they were about to enter the woods, Lloyd and Sheena took one last look back at their friends and the children. Zelos was gliding around, yelling, "Come now! Who here can beat the amazing one-armed man!"

Lloyd shook his head. "How about that…"

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"Here we are," said Lloyd as he helped Sheena make it up to the top of the hill. "I'm pretty sure that this is the spot Zelos told me about."

"One way to find out, right?" asked Sheena as she walked over to a relatively flat-looking rock near the edge of a cliff. "This has to be it! Look at this view!"

Lloyd walked slowly over to Sheena and his jaw nearly dropped as looked down at the village below. Zelos was right: the view was absolutely breath-taking. From here, he could see everything in the village. The lights of Iselia slowly began to illuminate one-by-one as the sky grew more and more dark. In the village square, the children and their other friends were still playing tag.

Sheena sat down at the rock and sighed. "It's so beautiful up here." She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. "Heh, it sure is cold though."

Lloyd sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her, trying to keep her warm. "Well it is winter after-all. I guess Verius is even trying to keep the seasons normal underneath the barrier. Look, there's even snow!"

Just as he said this, Sheena saw small amounts of snowflakes fall from the sky. The icy crystals fell upon her outstretched hand and left tiny puddles of water where they landed. "I never did like cold weather but I always loved snow. It's so pretty."

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah. Back when we were little, me, Colette, and Genis used to always build snowmen and have snowball fights."

"Oh yeah? That sounds like fun."

"Hehe, it was. One year, we decided to make a snow fort. We had a ton of snow that year so we had plenty of "building materials". Our fort was almost as big as a house!"

"As big as a house? No way!"

Lloyd nodded proudly. "Sure was! None of the other kids were a match for our mighty snow fort. Heh… we cried for an entire day when our fort finally melted. We had put so much work into it."

Sheena giggled. "Aww, I'm sorry to hear that Lloyd. If we beat Nebilim, we can build another fort together. It sounds like fun."

Lloyd smiled and held Sheena more tightly. "_When_ we win; not _if_."

She laid her head down on Lloyd's shoulder. "You're right, sorry about that." She laughed again. "As for the fort, we can have Celsius help too. It doesn't get much better than a Summon Spirit-built snow fort."

Lloyd pulled back a bit and kissed Sheena on the lips. "I'd like that. Sure would save us a lot of trouble."

They shared another laugh and rested their foreheads against each other. Pulling away, they looked back down on the village again. "I'm glad we came up here," said Sheena. She looked off in the distance and something caught her eye. "Hey Lloyd, look over there at the mountain close to the village."

"Huh? What about it?"

She smirked. "There's a lot of snow over there. I guess it's hard for it to melt that high up."

Lloyd peered into the distance and realized that Sheena was right. "Hey, wow, you're right. I've never been up there before."

"…y'know Lloyd, I've never been in a snowball fight before."

He smirked. "Is that right?"

She nodded. "Yeah. It sure does look like a long way off though."

Lloyd stood up and chuckled. "You dork." A second later, his red, spectral wings flared to life and flapped slowly behind him. "We do have wings y'know."

Sheena stood up and he purple wings flared to life as well. "Sorry. I'm still trying to get used to this. I've only been an angel for a week now."

Lloyd held Sheena's hand and pointed to the mountaintop with his other hand. "Let's go!"

With that, the two lifted off from their vantage point and streaked slowly across the sky, leaving dim trails of red and purple light in their wake. On the ground below, the children squealed in delight as they watched the beautiful lights illuminate the now twilight sky.

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The two angels touched-down in a patch of mid-shin-deep snow and Sheena nearly tripped when she tried to take her first step forward. "Gah!"

Lloyd caught and set her upright once again. "Easy there. Haven't you ever played in the snow before?"

She shook her head. "Only a little bit. Mizuho is situated in a fairly hot region of Tethe'alla, so we didn't see snow very often. I remember playing in the snow a few times as a child, but that was it. I was pretty clumsy in the snow. Back then, I didn't like cold weather enough to fully appreciate the snow. Now that I'm older, I think that snow is absolutely beautiful."

"Heh, well then, looks like you've got a few things to learn." He jogged a bit away from the cliff where they had landed, kneeled down, and grabbed a large lump of snow. "Time to teach you what a snowball fight is all about!" He wadded up the snow into a fairly compact ball and threw it at Sheena.

The snowball struck Sheena in the thigh and she immediately felt its icy chill run up her spine. "Brr! That's cold!"

"Hehe! That's the whole point of a snowball fight!" He leaned over and began to wad up another ball of snow. "Better start fighting back or you're gonna be sorry!"

Not wasting any time to exact revenge for Lloyd's "attack", Sheena knelt down and quickly gathered together enough snow to make a small snowball. The two angels threw their projectiles at the same time and both impacted on each others' chests. Lloyd merely brushed off Sheena's small snowball while Sheena was nearly bowled over by Lloyd's larger snowball.

"Haha! You'll never win like that!" declared Lloyd proudly.

Sheena grabbed some more snow and smirked. "I've only just begun!" She rushed towards Lloyd who immediately put himself in a defensive position, ready to block or completely evade the incoming snowball. Once she was a mere ten feet away from him, she yelled, "Shadow Phase!" and disappeared much like she did in the game of tag. Realizing what was going on, Lloyd tried to turn around in order to defend himself. Sadly for him, he was too slow and Sheena managed to nail him in the back of the head with a well-placed snowball. Lloyd fell face-first into the snow, obviously embarrassed that he was bested by the "Shadow Phase" once again.

"Ice-cold baby!" said Sheena proudly. Not being able to resist herself, she began to giggle at her own joke.

Lloyd pried his face out of the snow and grumbled to himself. Picking up another wad of snow, he flipped himself over and flung the snow at Sheena. The ball of icy snow hit Sheena in the upper chest and quickly melted and dripped down the inside of her outfit. The sudden chill of the melting ice made her eyes shoot wide-open.

He smirked. "You got that right."

In an impossible act of balancing having fun and being angry with Lloyd, Sheena growled and leapt at Lloyd, tackling him and knocking him back to the ground. "Take that!"

Lloyd quickly turned the tables when he flipped Sheena over and pinned her to the frosty ground. "Give up yet?"

She smirked and began to roll in the snow with Lloyd. As they steam-rolled a path through the snow, the two began to laugh uncontrollably. They stopped at one point as they lay next to each other, the steam of their warm breath brushing gently against each other as they tried to settle down.

"Haha, that was fun," said Lloyd as he tried to catch his frosty breath.

Sheena nodded, her breathing no better off than Lloyd's. "Y-yea it was."

Lloyd stood but began to stumble. "Whoa!" He fell backwards and began to roll down a slope.

Sheena, ignoring her fatigue, immediately jumped up and watched as Lloyd rolled downhill… and towards what looked like a lake of water. "Lloyd!" She began to run after him, knowing full well that a plunge into icy waters could prove to be very hazardous to Lloyd's health.

Lloyd tried to dig his limbs into the snow in an attempt to slow himself down but to no avail. After another few moments of sliding, Lloyd finally plunged head-first into the water.

Sheena stopped herself at the edge of the water and began to panic. "Lloyd! Lloyd!"

Lloyd emerged from the water and began to laugh. "Haha! Sheena, it's a hot spring! It's really nice in here!"

Sheena's cheeks turned a crimson hue of red. "You idiot! You had me worried!"

Still laughing, Lloyd swam over to the edge of the steamy lake, and offered his hand to Sheena, perhaps to ask for help in getting out. Rolling her eyes, she offered her hand but all he did was tug on it and pull her into the water with him.

A moment later, she too emerged from the water. Expecting her to be mad, Lloyd crossed his hands in front of his face but lowered them once he heard her laugh. "Haha, you're right Lloyd! This feels really good! I was starting to get cold."

Grinning, he swam over to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Why didn't you tell me? I woulda kept you warm."

"I know, but we were having so much fun that I didn't wanna ruin it."

"You dork. What woulda happened if you got sick?"

"Then I woulda let my hero take care of me."

They pulled apart and stared into each other's eyes. Hers full of kindness and love, his full of courage and determination. They become lost in each others' hues of brown and did not say anything for some time. They closed their eyes and rested their foreheads on each other.

Lloyd kissed Sheena on the tip of her still frosty nose. "Tomorrow Sheena… tomorrow will be the last day that we ever have to worry about. After tomorrow, we can have fun like this whenever we want. We can be together forever and never have to worry about anything else. Just you and me…" When he said this, he heard Sheena begin to sob, her warm tears were distinctive even in the presence of such warm water. "Sheena?"

"I'm scared Lloyd," cried Sheena. "I'm afraid that we won't make it. I don't want to die! I want to be with you."

Lloyd smiled and gazed into her eyes once again, the reflection of the twilight-illuminated water shining clearly in his eyes. "I don't want to die either Sheena, but we have to try and save the world. Besides, no matter what, we'll _always_ be together. Whether it is here or in heaven, it doesn't matter."

She shook her head. In a low tone, she whispered, "No Lloyd, this is our only chance to be together. There is nothing after this."

Lloyd looked at her, confused. "Why do you say that?"

She gazed once more at him, the light of the twinkling stars above shining in her tear-soaked eyes. She smiled weakly and, in an even lower tone than before, whispered, "Because I'm already in heaven."

The two lovers slowly leaned in toward each other and kissed each other on the lips. Their kiss was deep, passionate, and full of love. So intimate was the kiss that they went without air for a full thirty seconds. They both cried happily as they leaned toward each other.

"I love you Lloyd. Thank you for being my hero," said Sheena.

"I love you too Sheena. Words can't begin to describe how much you mean to me. I only wish that I would've realized this before this entire mess started." Lloyd brought up his right hand and brushed it against Sheena's soft cheek. "The only thing more beautiful than you is your heart and soul."

Sheena brought up a hand as well and brushed it against his right cheek. "Lloyd, you make my world complete. I feel like nothing can ever hurt me when you're around. I-I… I love you so much."

They leaned in once again for another long and very passionate kiss. As they did so, a hail of fluttering spectral pink and white rose petals fell from seemingly nowhere and fell on the surface of the lake. The twilight that once surrounded them was now a bright yet pleasantly illuminated area. The warmth and overall good feeling emanating from the lights put the two lovers in an unbelievably comfortable state. They pulled away from each other and watched as the petals continue to fall.

"Verius," said Lloyd simply.

Sheena nodded and smiled up at him. "So many people are rooting for us Lloyd. We can't let them down."

He nodded. "Both of my dads, our friends, Verius… and everyone else in Symhponia. We have to do our best for them."

She wrapped her arms lightly around Lloyd's neck and pulled him closer to her. "This may be our last chance to be together. Let's make it count."

The two shared another long kiss. The rest of the night passed in a similar fashion as they expressed their unconditional love for each other.

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Lloyd touched down on the balcony of his house, the utterly exhausted Sheena cradled safely in his arms. He walked into his room and set her down in a chair. "I'm going to go downstairs and get changed, okay? Go ahead and take the bed tonight. I'll sleep on the floor."

She nodded. "Okay then." He began to make his way downstairs when Sheena suddenly said, "Lloyd?"

He turned to her. "Yes?"

Her cheeks became flushed in an instant. "Thank you for the lovely evening. I'll never forget it."

He smiled. "Thank you for loving me the way that you do." He made his way downstairs and got changed into his black pajamas.

He came back upstairs a few minutes later with a blanket from a closet downstairs and threw it down on the floor. Looking over at his bed, he saw that Sheena was already tucked very comfortably underneath the covers. He smiled and prepared to lie down on his blanket when Sheena broke the silence. "Lloyd?"

"Yes?"

"Will you please keep me warm?"

Not wanting to deny her request and certainly not willing to turn down any opportunity to be close to her, Lloyd threw his blanket on top of the bed and slipped underneath the covers next to Sheena. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "Thank you Lloyd. You're such a sweetheart."

Lloyd turned his head and gave Sheena quick kiss on the lips. "Good night Sheena. I love you."

"I love you too Lloyd… with all my heart."

Mere moments later, the exhausted lovers fell asleep in each other's arms. In the skies above, two shooting stars, parallel to each other, streaked across the sky. From a clearing in the woods nearby, a loving father witnessed the amazing spectacle. He closed his eyes and began to make his way back toward the village.

_"Oh starry heavens… please protect my family…"_

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That's it! After such an enormous delay and a computer crash, chapter 23 (24)is finally done! I hope it lived up to everyone's expectations… and then some! I have one thing to ask, no, beg of everyone. According to my stats page, there are at least 80 people that like the story (that's only counting the people who have UL on their favorites list. There's bound to be more!). I beg all of you, if you never write another review for me, to please write a review for this chapter. I've put so much effort into the chapter and I'd really like to know what everyone thinks of the chapter, be it good or bad. Thank you so much in advance!

Also, I have some priority updates to mention: As always, UL will be number one on the list and Crossing the Bridge will be #2. Since MoS is a collection of short stories and not a multi-chapter story, I'm classifying it as a "Whenever I feel like it" story. Joining MoS in this category is my newest collection of one-shots: Hearts of Symphonia. The basics are explained on my profile page, so I won't waste your time here. For those of you who leave me a review, I would like for all of you to vote on which of the 20 couples you would like to see first. One request: No SheenaXLloyd for at least 4-5 chapters. Wanna take a tiny break on Sheloyd fluff for a bit.

As for everything that I haven't updated in a while, stay tuned for updates! Now that things have more or less returned to normal, I can start keeping a regular schedule! Expect the next chapter of UL in about 2-3 weeks. After that, everything should be okay! Thanks everyone!

Also, be sure to check out my one-shot, "Reluctant Saviors"! I hope you like it as well!


	25. Into Hell

A/N: …wow…wow… WOW! 40 reviews for one chapter:squeals in delight: Thank you so much! I worked so hard on that last chapter and I was so afraid that it was going to suck. Looks like it even exceeded my expectations for the first copy of that chapter that I had. You are all far too kind Anyway!

Now that their last day of relaxation is over, Lloyd, Sheena, and Kratos must finally set out to once and for all free the world from the clutches of Nebilim, the demonic overlord of Niflheim. Fearing that those who are leaving and those that are staying will never see each other again, the two sides try to console one another as they say farewell… at least, for now…

Although I had to go back and delete all of my previous responses in other chapters, I decided to keep this specific reply up. It was in response to a bit of an outcry for a sex scene in the chapter.

Rock Raider – I always appreciate your reviews, and I thank you for the great review for the last chapter. However, I want to make one thing clear to everybody without sounding like a jerk or whatever: I will NEVER resort to lemon (sex between heroes for those not in the know) in my fics. If I can't make a good story without resorting to sexual situations, then I'm not going to write a story. UL has gotten 353 reviews (so far) without putting sex in the story. Sex may sell, but not in this case. Lloyd and Sheena share a very special relationship in which they were attracted to each other, not by the others' bodies, but by their hearts and souls. Sure, Lloyd thinks Sheena is beautiful and Sheena finds Lloyd to be very handsome, but the number one thing they see in each other is their hearts. Having said that, this doesn't mean that they won't engage in sexual activities in one point in their life (that is, if Nebilim doesn't kill them…) but last chapter was neither the time or place for it. When and if we ever go to the point that it is appropriate, only light reference will be made to it. Besides, sex shouldn't be had in desperation, right? When they finally "get together" for the first time, it should be and will be the most special time of their lives. The most special time of their lives should not come as they are worrying about Nebilim. I'm sure you've been waiting for this for a while, and I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't want to use sex to sell UL. Forgive me. As for Tales of Kingdom Hearts, yes, I promise to read it eventually. I always keep my promises. Just been super busy lately.

Also, I want to thank Snowcrystal for, not only reading my fic, but for plugging it in the wildly successful "Tales of Fanfiction" Now then...

**_Tales of Fanfiction_** by SnowCrystal. Read it. Now. No, really, now. Come back to UL later!

Anyway, on with the show!

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Chapter 25: Into Hell

Sheena opened her eyes as the first rays of sunlight began to pour into Lloyd's room. Her sleep had been peaceful, her dreams filled with visions of a world where her and Lloyd were together forever. Was it really just a dream? Perhaps it was visions of the future. After all, all they had to do to make this dream come true was…

She rolled over and saw that Lloyd was still lying next to her. It looked as if he had been awake for quite some time now. He smiled and kissed her. "Good morning Sheena."

She smiled back and hugged him as tightly as her morning-heavy arms would allow her too. "Good morning Lloyd. How long have you been awake?"

"A few hours now."

Sheena's face immediately turned red. "A few hours? W-what about your rest?"

He shook his head. "Angels don't _have_ to sleep to get rested, y'know. Besides, I felt more energized by just looking at you as opposed to sleeping."

The red on her face deepened as she giggled. "T-that's so sweet Lloyd. Thank you."

He smiled again and turned to his window. "I guess today's the day, huh?"

"Yeah… we have to fight Nebilim today."

"Nervous?"

"Yes. You?"

He laughed. "I'm scared out of my mind to be quite honest. But y'know… if we fight together, I really think we can win. All we can do is try our hardest. Besides, we'll have my dad with us. No way he'll go down without a fight."

She nodded. "Yeah. With wonderful people like you and… dad around, I don't feel nearly as scared as I probably should be."

He turned back to her and grinned. "Dad, huh?"

Her face was filled with crimson once again. "Ah, I-I asked him if he wouldn't mind if I called him that. "After all, h-he's been like a father to me."

Lloyd laughed and hugged Sheena. "No no, I'm glad to hear you say that. I'm also glad that he accepted you."

She hugged back. "I couldn't meet any better pair of men in my life if I tried."

"Hehe, thanks." He turned back to the window once again and sighed. "Well… let's get this over with." He pulled the blankets off of himself and hopped out of bed. He stretched and said, "Besides…" He turned back to her and flashed her a thumbs-up. "The sooner that we beat the crap outta Nebilim, the sooner we can come back home and start having fun again."

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"I promise that this is the last time I will ask," said Raine.

Kratos brushed a stray strand of hair aside. "You know what the answer is going to be Raine."

She shook her head. "I know, I know… but I'm going to ask again anyway: will you please reconsider fighting Nebilim? It's just too dangerous."

Regal placed a hand on her shoulder and she immediately turned to face him. He shook his head. "No, Raine. He's already made up his mind. So have Lloyd and Sheena. What they're doing is extremely dangerous, true, but it is also the right thing to do. If you had the power to make a difference in this fight, could you honestly say that you wouldn't go?"

Raine wanted to argue with Regal, but she knew he was right. She sighed and turned back to Kratos. "We've already lost so many people to Nebilim. I just don't want to lose anymore."

"I understand your concern for us Raine, and I really do appreciate it," said Kratos. "However, we also must think of the ones who did not end in as fortunate of a spot as we did. If we don't do something, hunger or despair will kill more people than Nebilim already has."

"Kratos…"

"Sis, look!" yelled Genis as he rounded the corner of a building next to where Regal, Raine, and Kratos stood. "It's Lloyd and Sheena!"

Everyone looked up in the sky as the saw the purple and red angels fly towards them. Kratos merely folded his arms, closed his eyes, and grinned. "Sleeping in, huh? They must've had a lot of fun last night. Good. They deserved it."

"Are they here?" asked Colette as she rounded the corner with a limping Zelos.

Kratos nodded. "Indeed they are. Now is your chance to say your final goodbyes before we set out."

Colette nodded and walked past Kratos. As Zelos hobbled over towards the group, he said, "Final goodbyes? That's not a very positive way of looking at things."

"Chosen."

Zelos stopped in his tracks and looked at Kratos. "Huh?"

"I need to speak briefly with you."

"What about?"

"Come with me." Kratos waved toward himself and walked around the corner of another building.

Zelos sighed. "Why does he always have to be so secretive?" He shrugged his one good arm and followed Kratos.

As Sheena and Lloyd landed, the reaction from the gathered crowd was mixed. Some cheered, glad that people they know and trusted were going to put an end to Nebilim's reign of terror. Other's wept, unsure of whether or not their beloved heroes would return home safely. Others still merely smiled and clapped, not sure of what to say or think one way or the other. One thing was for sure though: Lloyd and Sheena's former traveling companions were not thrilled to see them or Kratos leave.

"Guys, are you really sure you want to do this?" asked Genis.

Lloyd nodded. "'Course. We can't let everyone in Symphonia Live in fear of this Nebilim jerk forever, y'know."

Everyone cheered when they heard this, even the ones who had wept for them before-hand.

Presea stepped forward and lowered her head. "Aren't you… scared?"

Sheena chuckled softly. "Terrified. We can't let that stop us though. The world is counting on us."

More cheers from the crowd. Colette being Colette, giggled as she moved to hug both Lloyd and Sheena. "You're both so brave. I wish you wouldn't go, but I know that you have to. I hope you guys win. I'll be praying for you."

Both Lloyd and Sheena hugged their friend back. "Don't worry Colette," said Lloyd. "Dad promised that all of us would be returning home safely. Right dad?"

No response.

"Dad?"

Everyone looked around but they couldn't see Kratos anywhere.

"That's weird," said Colette. "I just saw him a second ago. Hey wait, where's Zelos?"

Sheena walked away and said, "Stay here, I'll go find him. Be back in a sec!"

She walked around for a bit, checking around the corners of the buildings not far from where she originally stood. Around the last corner she checked, she could see Kratos and Zelos talking. She tried listening in on them but couldn't make out what they were saying. At one point in the conversation, Kratos pulled an envelope out of one of the many folds in his suit and handed it to Zelos. Confused, Zelos grabbed one half of the envelope while Kratos kept his hold on the other half. Before he fully handed it over, Kratos said one last thing in the same inaudible tone as before. Whatever it was that he said, it caused Zelos to reel back in horror as he pulled the envelope away. Kratos turned around and walked away from the shocked Zelos. As Sheena moved away from the two to avoid detection, she could hear Kratos say, "I'm counting on you Zelos. Do not let me down."

Zelos called after him but it was to no avail. The ancient hero was already making his way towards his friends.

"I found him," said the worried Sheena as she came back to her friends. A moment later, Kratos emerged from around the corner and all eyes turned to him. "See?"

"Ah, Lloyd, Sheena, you're here," said Kratos wistfully. "I take it that you are ready to leave?"

Lloyd nodded. "Ready as we'll ever be."

"Heh, I suppose you're right. Have you said your goodbyes yet?"

"Not yet. We were just getting to that."

"Take your time. I'll be waiting just outside the village."

Sheena tilted her head. "Huh? Aren't you going to say goodbye?"

Kratos did not even broke stride as he said, "I never liked long goodbyes."

Lloyd watched his father as he walked away. Shaking his head, he then turned to his friends. "Well guys… this is it."

"Is this… goodbye?" asked Presea.

He shook his head with a smile. "Nah. Just… so long for now."

"That's right," said chimed Sheena. "This should all be over in a couple of hours."

Raine immediately went into her motherly mode. "But if you don't-" She paused and shook her head. "No, nevermind. We'll see you in a couple of hours, okay?"

Lloyd nodded. "Will do. With dad leading the charge, there's no way we can lose."

Colette smiled and hugged Lloyd. "Please come back to us safely. I'll never forgive you if you don't." She broke away from Lloyd and moved to hug Sheena. "That goes for you too."

The former assassin laughed as she pulled away from Colette. "Don't worry about us. Just get everything ready for a celebration for when we return."

"You got it!"

A slight breeze kicked up, causing the trails of Lloyd's white scarf to sway with the wind. "Time to go. Time's a wastin'." He turned around and held up a hand as he walked off. "See ya in a few guys!"

Sheena nodded towards all of her friends. "Wish us luck!" Following Lloyd's example, she walked away from her friends and followed closely behind Lloyd.

They didn't get far before Zelos came around the corner of the last building before they reached the edge of town. Both of the young lovers were surprised by his sudden appearance, Sheena even more so considering that she was still curious as to what Zelos and Kratos were talking about earlier. "Zelos!" said Lloyd.

"Hey guys," said Zelos emotionlessly. "I just wanted to say good luck to both of you."

"Thank you Zelos," said Sheena.

Lloyd took notice of the lack of emotion in Zelos' face and was wondering why he looked so. "Zelos, is something wrong?"

The former Chosen opened his mouth as if he was going to say something but merely shook his head and limped past Lloyd and Sheena.

"Zelos?"

"You've got a good dad Lloyd. Don't ever forget that."

Lloyd and Sheena watched as Zelos walked back towards the village square where the others were waiting for him. "What was that about?" asked Sheena.

"I've got a good dad?" asked Lloyd. "What brought that up?"

"Lloyd! Sheena! Let's go!" yelled Kratos.

"C-coming!" yelled back Lloyd as he and Sheena ran towards their father.

A moment later, they reached the waiting Kratos. His blue spectral wings flashed to life as he began to speak. "This is it. There's no turning back after this. Ready?"

The two young angels allowed their red and purple wings to flash to life as well, signifying that they were, indeed, ready.

"Ready to go dad," said Lloyd confidently.

"No better time than the present," said Sheena, a hint of fear in her voice.

"Then let's…" Kratos focused his gaze upon the village of Iselia. "…go…"

"Dad? Is something wrong?" asked Lloyd.

"No. Just taking in the scenery."

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Let's go." Kratos spread his wings and took off into the sky, most likely into as of yet unseen world of Niflheim.

Lloyd turned to Sheena and extended his hand to her. "Let's do this."

She took his hand, nodded, and took off into the sky with him."

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"There it is!" yelled Kratos as they flew through the red skies of the hellish Niflheim. "See that large red barrier over? That must be what's covering up Shadow's Temple!"

"I see it!" yelled Lloyd. "Whoa, it's huge!"

Sheena gazed upon the barrier, awestruck be its sheer size. "Nebilim's barrier… to get through, we have to-"

"Use the Angel Arms," said Kratos, finishing Sheena's sentence. "This is it! Activate the Angel Arms!"

All three of the angels began to plunge towards the barrier. As they fell, pure strands of light began to emanate from the spheres on their right hands and wrap around their bodies. Within a mere few seconds, all three of the heroes transformed into their High Seraphim forms. With the transformation complete, their bodies streaked like holy meteors across the sky and crashed into the barrier, shattering it into millions of shards of mana. Their bodies hit the large top floor of Shadow's Temple and came to a sudden halt. Not feeling the least bit fazed by the fall, they quickly got up and tried to look around as the dust settled around them.

"Nebilim!" yelled Lloyd at the top of his lungs. "Show yourself!"

"Vazn, is that you?" said an unfamiliar voice.

"What? Vazn?" asked Sheena.

Kratos closed his eyes. "Vazn was the leader of the nine angels that defeated Nebilim five-thousand years ago. He was also the most powerful angel ever recorded in Angelic history. Perhaps our Angel Arms share some sort of link with this Vazn."

"Come out Nebilim!" yelled Lloyd again.

When the dust settled, they saw an eerily handsome man with long white hair and an elegant looking blue robe standing before them. The man stepped towards them in hopes of getting a better look at the heroes. "No, of course it's not him. Vazn has surely been dead for several millennia now. Though you are not him, his presence still surrounds you."

"What? Who are you? Where's Nebilim?" asked Sheena, confused.

"You? Ah… I see you have brought Verius with you. You must truly be a powerful summoner if you are able to control him."

"Answer the question!" yelled Lloyd.

"Hmph, fine. You may not realize it, but Nebilim stands before you."

"What!"

"Indeed. This is how I looked five-thousand years ago. Once I gained complete control over the powers of darkness, I allowed my body to become that of a demon's. As the white demon Nebilim, I am truly unstoppable."

"Not true," said Kratos coolly as he stepped forward. "The nine seraphim defeated you before, did they not?"

"Heh. Even so, what can the three of you hope to do against one such as myself?"

"Because we're stronger than they were," replied Kratos.

Lloyd clenched his right fist and shook it at Nebilim. "Not only that, but we have the Eternal Sword on our side!"

From seemingly nowhere, Sheena produced an entire hand of cards. "Don't forget about the Summon Spirits!"

"Really now?" asked Nebilim amused. "How interesting. I hope you will at least put up a decent fight."

Lloyd drew Hope and Faith and immediately pointed both at Nebilim. "Same goes for you Nebilim!"

"Bold words. Fine then…" Bolts of lighting arced across the large main hall of Shadow's Temple as bits and pieces of solid darkness seemingly sifted from everywhere at once. A bright flash of light ensued and, when the light dimmed, the white demon Nebilim rose to his full eight feet of height. He smirked as shadowy fires began to light up all around the hall. "**_Let the games begin!_**" yelled the demonic overlord.

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Now comes what many have been looking forward to: the grand battle against Nebilim! Yes, this wasn't a very exciting chapter, but I promise you that this is the last lead-up chapter in the entire story. Hope it was half-way enjoyable Stay tuned for more!

Oh, and please check out my buddy Lloyd Irving Aurion's newest fic, "ToS: An Altered Path". He's worked really hard on it, and we as readers should try to give him and the story all the support that we can give. Look for the story on my favorites list! I guarantee you'll like it


	26. It Begins

A/N: The other chapter that everyone has been waiting for is upon us: the beginning of the battle against Nebilim! Are we really close to seeing the ending, be it good, bad, or indifferent? Haha, you'll just have to see. I won't bore y'all with an introduction since, well, if you've been reading for a while, you already know what's going on. If you don't, then start from chapter one, yo XD

Without further ado, I present to you…

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Chapter 26: It Begins

"Lloyd! Sheena!" yelled Kratos. "Remember what we practiced and we will win this battle!"

Lloyd got into his fighting stance and nodded. "Got it!"

From one of the many folds in her robe, Sheena drew her angelic weapons, the Heart of Symphonia. "Ready when you are dad!"

Nebilim laughed. "Are you sure about that?" He clenched his fists, rested on one knee, and slammed his fists into the ground, causing a large column of jagged rock to erupt from the ground and speed toward the Angels. "Try this!"

The angels didn't even so much as flinch as the watched the rocks come toward them. "Wait for it…" said Kratos quietly. The rocks were no more than 10 feet away when he finally yelled, "Now!"

Kratos jumped to the right, Lloyd to the left, and Sheena took to the air, watching the rocks pass underneath her as she did so. "Ya missed!" She threw down the Heart of Symphonia, allowing it to hover just in front of her feet. "Try this! Hikari no Ai!" She placed the insides of her palms together and turned them towards Nebilim. "Heart Cannon!"

The pink beam of light streamed from her hands and struck Nebilim with amazing speed. He was only knocked back a little, allowing his crossed arms to take most of the blow. Even as the beam continued to strike him, he said, "Ha! That may have worked on Abyssion, but it won't work on me!"

"Are you so sure about that?" asked Kratos mockingly.

Nebilim turned his head as far as he could, only to see that both Lloyd and Kratos stood behind him. "What?"

"Go Lloyd! X-Strike!"

"Right!" yelled Lloyd. Standing at a ninety-degree angle from his father, he slipped past Nebilim's right side, slicing his back with Hope and his side with Faith as he passed. Shortly after he passed by, Kratos swept by Nebilim's left side, making a very deep cut in the demon's side with Polaris as he did so.

The demon howled in pain as the blades found their mark. Temporarily weakened by the strike, his arms flopped to his side, allowing the full power of Sheena's Heart Cannon to hit him dead in the chest, sending the demon skiing across the cold, dark floor. The beam subsided and Sheena floated gracefully back to the ground along with the Heart of Symphonia.

She leaned down and picked the card back up. "Won't work, huh?"

Nebilim opened his eyes and sat up. He smirked. "Impressive." He stood up, letting fragments of the floor fall off of him as he did so. "You may indeed be more powerful than the angels of old. However, it's going to take more than a petty trick to take me down. A lot more."

Lloyd and Kratos walked back to Sheena and stood next to each other about three feet ahead of her. "Come then, Nebilim," demanded Kratos proudly.

"Heh… you asked for it." He crouched down a bit and closed his eyes. The angels watched soundlessly as Nebilim's arms began to quiver, then to split open, and finally mutate into the Nebilim Devil Arm Twin-Blades. As he opened his eyes, something that looked like an eye opened on the outside of his left blade. "This won't hurt a bit. I promise."

Kratos calmly took a step forward and kneeled down. "Let's go Lloyd. Sheena, you know what to do."

Lloyd nodded and kneeled next to his father. Sheena put away the Heart of Symphonia temporarily as she pulled out another card and began chanting.

Nebilim smirked. "Oh no you don't! I won't give you a chance to summon anything this time!" With that, he dashed full speed at the angels, blades full extended outwards.

Ignoring his threats, Sheena continued to chant. Kratos and Lloyd held their ground as well, Nebilim's threats obviously having no effect on them either. He was less than ten feet away when Lloyd and Kratos finally held up their Angel Arm-adorned arms and yelled, "Omni-Guardian!"

An enormous green wall of spiritual force blinked into existence, essentially cutting the main hall of Shadow's temple in half. Nebilim leapt into the air with every intention of trying to shatter the strange wall. His blades connected with the wall but the only result of this was his being stalled in midair by the forces associated with the mystic barrier. He gritted his teeth as he very slowly tried to push his blades through the wall. He progressed no more than a few inches before Kratos' and Lloyd's Angel Arms shined, causing the wall to violently push against Nebilim. The wall eventually dissipated but not before Nebilim had been slammed into and skidded across the stone floor.

Kratos stood up and Lloyd followed suit. "Now Sheena!" he yelled.

"Right!" she yelled as the familiar circle of summoning appeared below her. "Ancient Ruler of the Elements, I summon thee!" She threw down her card and finished the chant. "Come, Maxwell!"

Light flashed throughout the great hall and from it appeared Maxwell, the Summon Spirit of Matter. He lifted his staff and floated upward on his flying disc. The ancient summon spirit cackled and pointed his staff at the fallen body of Nebilim. Not far above Maxwell, several (relatively) large meteors materialized. They revolved around Maxwell until he sent each meteor one-by-one at the demonic overlord. From each impacting meteor, there erupted a fiery and rock-riddled explosion, the shockwaves of which caused part of the ceiling to collapse upon Nebilim. The hellish lights of Niflheim shined through the hole in the ceiling, causing an eerily dim-red ray of 'light' to shine upon the pile of rubble that Nebilim was trapped under.

Nobody moved or said anything. Nebilim wasn't dead, that much was for sure. Although it was a powerful attack, the angels had no idea how much real damage it did against Nebilim. However, they had to wonder why the battle was going so easily for them. Nebilim's first attack may have been just a show of force but they doubted that he had held back against his most recent attack. They were able to counter both attacks with almost the same ease that they had enjoyed against the semi-vicious rabbits that once inhabited the wilderness surrounding Iselia. This was almost too easy. If this kept up, Nebilim would surely be defeated.

Kratos sheathed his blade and extended his hand toward the rubble. "Stay back, but do not allow him to get up," he said calmly.

Sheena withdrew her current and replaced it with another. "I call upon the light of the heavens, I summon thee!" As before, she threw her card down, bringing about another flash of light. "Come, Luna!"

From the light appeared Luna, floating on her crescent moon as she always did. "Yes Lady Summoner?"

The angelic summoner pointed to a point just in front of Kratos' now burning fingertips. "Luna, Circle of Faith!"

"As you wish." She waved her hands, causing a large ring of light in front of Kratos that was pointed directly at Nebilim.

"Excellent," said Kratos quietly. A number of small fireballs appeared on the tips of fingertips and lingered for a moment. A few seconds later, he yelled, "Saint Fire!" and launched the fireballs through the ring at toward Nebilim. As the balls of flame passed through the ring, the red and orange flames turned blue and white and left a short trail of stars behind them. The fireballs demonstrated their new-found power as they literally slammed into the pile of rubble, their impact creating an enormous pillar of saintly flames that extended through the hole in the ceiling and toward the hellish skies of Niflheim.

"That's not all!" yelled Lloyd proudly as he stepped forward, the Saint Fire still burning insanely fierce ahead of him. Both blades drawn, he began to spin himself in a strange dance-like fashion. Throughout the dance, he scraped his blades across the ground numerous times, and from each of these scrapes came a familiar shockwave of energy known as a Demon Fang. "Demonic Dance!" One wave, then two, then three, four, five, six… the waves did not stop coming. Without the Angel Arm, Lloyd had been able to, at most, create three Demon Fangs at once via his Demonic Chaos attack. Each wave slammed into whatever was still within the large pillar of blue-white flame. When Lloyd finally ceased his 'dance', he unleashed an amazing twenty-seven shockwaves at the pillar. Finally, the flames died down as well, revealing a prone Nebilim behind them.

"Get up Nebilim," said Kratos coolly. "We're not finished with you yet."

"How…" whispered the demon. From the ground, he looked up at the angelic trio. "How can this be? It took nine of you before to bring me down and it was still a close battle. How is it that you can do this to me?"

"Hmph. It is as I said earlier: we are more powerful than the angels of old. Far more powerful it would seem."

Lloyd clenched his fist and grinned. "That, and our teamwork is second to none. With a leader like my dad, we can't lose."

"That's right," chimed in Sheena. "and this time, you won't just be sealed. We are going to completely destroy so as to make sure that you can _never_ come back and hurt anyone ever again."

The demon brought himself to his knees. "No, this… this can't be!" He slowly stood and stared at the angels. "If you think you've already beaten me, think again! This is just the beginning!"

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Uhh, only 1,500 words. Sorta short, I know, and I'm sorry. Next chapter will prolly be fairly short as well, but I guarantee that the end of next chapter will be very… interesting. How? You'll see! Thanks in advance for any and all reviews!

Oh, and to my readers of Crossing the Bridge, I'm so sorry about the delay! I've hit a nasty roadblock in my mind but I'm working to get past it.

Also, to anyone who has visited my site, does anyone actually like the idea of a site? Freewebs sucks and I wanna remake the site on another server. I have a bunch more Fanart to post and would like to share it with everybody. Anyone wanna see a new site?


	27. Turning Point

A/N: Okay, it took long enough, but Chapter 27 is finally upon us! Ahem…

The final battle between Nebilim and the forces of light has finally begun. However, things are not going as planned for Nebilim and, as such, he begins to lose the fight. How can the heroes do what they are doing to a being far more powerful than themselves? What is the secret to their success thus far?

Right. By now, everyone should know what will be going for me and Fan Fan Girl during the month of November so I won't get into that. If you don't know yet, just check my profile for details.

It's that special time again kiddies! You can't deny your love for it! It's…

"Respond to the Readers"

Draco Blade – Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever gone into specifics concerning what Nebilim looks like. Well, I can at least give you a quick run down. Lesse… about 8 feet tall, close to 600 pounds, every ounce of body is covered in muscle, body is white save for his yellow pupiled eyes, two spiraling horns that bend outward in the middle and back towards each other near the top, razor-like 2-inch long fingernails (may as well be claws, 4 fangs (2 on the bottom, 2 at the top), and if you look VERY closely, you can see wisps of dark energy emanate off of him.

Is Nebilim too easy? – It sure seems that way, huh? Why did it take 9 angels to seal Nebilim when just 3 in the present day are mopping the floor with Nebilim? They may very well be more powerful than the angels of old, but is that really all there is to it? (You'll find out in this chapter!)

dragoonknight1 – I assure you that Nebilim is not toying with the angels. Nebilim is proud but he's not stupid.

evlo – As a matter of fact, the website is up! Just clock the homepage link on my profile and check it out. The pairings section has gone through many changes lately, including the addition of approval ratings, pros, and cons for each pairing as well a new category of pairings. Hope y'all like it!

Lloyd Irving Aurion – Heh… don't be so sure. As for the using Origin thing, I had actually considered using this until I realized something: Symphonia is under the influence of Niflheim, Nebilim's home turf. There's no telling if the physics of his world could be altered with Origin or not. Anything is possible though.

Shadowofthewave – You like the new moves? Thank you! And don't worry, I won't become engrossed in my own creations. More moves will be coming though, so keep an eye out! The heroes have not even begun to fully realize the true prowess of their Angel Arms… or have they?

Rock Raider – I'll do that. Everyone tells me Kingdom Hearts is good.

JSB – Heh… you're on the right track…

Specter Von Baren – Well said my friend. You can expect to see all of the summon spirits throughout the course of the battle. Finally, I'm very anxious to start "Knocking on Heaven's Door" m'self. I've finally narrowed down what I want to start one after either CtB or UL is done: "Knocking on Heaven's Door" or "Super Symphonia!" I'll let the fans decide this one. Either way, the other one will be started when either CtB or UL is finished (whichever comes last). From what we have planned so far, I fully believe that "Knocking on Heaven's Door" will be far more successful than UL was, even if the readers aren't LloydXPresea fans.

HayabusaJiraiyaRULEZ – You are too kind! As for more ZelosXColette, you will definitely see more, though it may not be in this story… or may not even be related to this current story. You'll see.

MC – Ver.2 – Thanks, but the Sheloyd chapter was actually chapter 24.

SassyRecombinantpassions – A god in human form::dies from overly kind words:

RoyalFanatic – And now I'm a genius! Thanks!

Fan Fan Girl – Thanks as always partner!

SnowCrystal – Yes, I definitely need more content on my site. Any ideas?

Normal Man – Sorry. I'm going to try and get one more chapter out before the contest rolls around. Stay tuned!

And now, without further ado…

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Chapter 27: Turning Point

"This isn't over yet you two!" yelled Kratos. "We still have a long way to go!" He looked to the two young angels next to him and flashed a complicated looking series of hand signals. "Got it?"

They nodded. "Got it dad!" they chimed.

Nebilim squinted one eye as he watched the angels drop into a V-type formation with Sheena in the back. "Eh? What now?"

Sheena closed her eyes and a familiar circle of ancient magic appeared beneath her. "I call upon the Hammer of Godly Thunder!" Without looking, she drew a single card from her sleeve and threw it on the ground. "I summon thee! Come, Volt!"

Just as they always did, the mighty summon spirit appeared before her. Volt's menacing eyes gazed at Nebilim, eagerly awaiting the moment that he too would get a chance to strike down the demonic overlord. Sheena said nothing more and Volt hovered in front of his master patiently.

"Let's go!" yelled Lloyd as he began to rush toward Nebilim. Kratos stood back and waited for the right moment before he spread his wings and took to the air.

Nebilim took a step back, wondering what they were up to. The summoner had summoned a spirit but wasn't using it, the foolish boy was rushing recklessly at him, and the angel Kratos was nowhere to be seen, the boy's yelling causing him to momentarily lose track of the elder. "Hmph, whatever. They won't get me again." His held up his right and watched as it slowly morphed into the all-too-familiar dark kendama, Disaster. He smirked as he reared his arm back. "Wrong move, boy!"

He swung his arm with all the force that he could muster, sending the organic-looking ball at the end of the whip screaming towards Lloyd. The young hero stopped dead in his tracks as he waited for the ball. Just before it could slam into or otherwise entangle him, he performed an amazing side-flip that just barely sent him over the top of the ball. So close was the leap that ball actually brushed through his hair for the brief moment that he was completely upside-down. He landed on his feet with all of the grace of a trained acrobat and took a quick step back. "Wrong move Nebilim."

"What?" said Nebilim as he arched forward in order to maintain control of Disaster. "Yo- gurgh!" Before he could even complete the first word, Nebilim felt something pierce the top part of his back, just behind his neck. Briefly ignoring the pain of the blow, Nebilim turned around just enough to see just what had happened.

A magnificent blade of purely spectral material was the cause of the pain. On the top of the hilt was Kratos who appeared to be hanging, strangely enough, from the sword to the ceiling, as if he was doing a hand-stand. Kratos smiled confidently. "Fool." He 'lowered' himself slightly and performed a handspring of sorts off of the hilt of Polaris. While still in the air, he called to his adopted daughter. "Now Sheena!"

"Right!" Wasting no time, the grand summoner pulled her right sleeve back and threw the corresponding arm forward. "Volt! Grand Spire!"

Never one for words, the mighty summon spirits merely opened his eyes to their fullest as several arcs of electricity flowed from his own body into Polaris which, in turn, sent waves of high-voltage electricity coursing through Nebilim's body. The demon screamed in pain as his body glowed with the purple energy that flowed so freely from Volt. He was only spared when Volt's own supply of mana was dangerously low, causing him to disappear until he could recuperate what mana he had lost.

Unwilling to succumb to such an attack, Nebilim grumbled as he slowly lifted himself off the ground. When he looked up, all he could see was a grinning Lloyd waiting for him. "I guess it's my turn now." Before Nebilim could even react, Lloyd swung his sword up and down away from each other, leaving a very faint vertical trail of mana in their wake. He followed this up with a cut from the middle to the left and right with his corresponding swords, leaving yet another trail of mana. To finish it all up, he crossed his blades across his chest and yelled, "Heavenly Beast!" As with his other Beast-style techniques, a the head of a strange beast made purely of spiritual force erupted from the mid-air cross and slammed into Nebilim, sending him skidding across the floor and finally dislodging Polaris from his back.

Nebilim was absolutely furious now. He was supposed to be infinitely stronger than this group of angels but he couldn't even keep up with them. There was no way that they could fully realize their powers yet… was there? It had only been a little more than a week ago that he last me the trio of heroes. Even if they would've received the Angel Arms immediately after fleeing from the Shadow Temple, was there any real possibility that they could've mastered all of the secrets them? If they had, then…

"Nebilim!"

Nebilim looked skyward toward the voice that called his name. He clenched his fist. "Kratos…"

Kratos extended his hand downward and watched as Polaris lifted off the ground and slowly returned back to its rightful owner. Once returned, Kratos closed his eyes and waved the blade around his head, leaving trails of brilliantly shining stars around him.

"Damn you Kratos," thought Nebilim to himself. "Why are you so…" A smirk crossed his face. "Of course… I see now. If I can just-"

Kratos pointed Polaris toward Nebilim. "Starry Heavens, unleash thy divine might upon my foes! Northern Lights!"

One by one, the stars surrounding Kratos streaked away from him and slammed into Nebilim, resulting in a large number divine-energy-based explosions where he stood. As the explosions subsided, Kratos slowly lowered himself to the ground and walked to where Nebilim was standing before he fell victim to Kratos' latest attack.

From afar, Lloyd and Sheena cheered on the all-powerful angel. "Go dad! Show him who's boss!"

He grinned. "I intend to do just that."

Nebilim slowly lifted himself off of the ground and chuckled. "Heh… ehehe… cheer while you can, kiddies. Once I figure out how to silence Kratos-"

"Talking to yourself?" asked Kratos as he reached the demon.

Nebilim turned to Kratos. "You and your little family are done for, angel."

A fire burned fiercely in Kratos' soul at the mention of his family. "Don't you dare speak about my family!" In a fashion similar to what Lloyd did earlier, Kratos cut a cross of stars into the air and yelled, "Southern Cross!"

A burst of holy energy exploded forth from the cross and knocked Nebilim on his back once again. This time, he didn't cry in pain or anything like that. Rather, he chuckled the entire time, even when he was slammed back into the floor. He stood up again and smirked at Kratos.

Kratos pointed his sword at Nebilim. "Lloyd! Sheena! Let's finish this!"

The young angels nodded. "Right dad!" they yelled in unison as they joined Kratos be his side.

Lloyd clenched his fist and pumped it at Nebilim. "You're toast Nebilim! Say your prayers!"

Sheena drew another card from her sleeve and held it close to her chest. "You killed countless numbers of people and brought pain and suffering to a thousand times more! You have to pay for your crimes!"

Nebilim reared his head back and laughed maniacally. "What's so funny?" asked Kratos.

Nebilim stopped laughing and pointed at the group. "You, Kratos Aurion."

"What?"

"Heh. I've finally figured out what makes your little group tick."

"Yeah? What's that?"

The demon grinned. "You."

Kratos gasped. "What!"

"Heh, that's right. You're the only one that could even begin to understand the vast powers given by the Angel Arms in such a short time." Nebilim spread his arms and between them appeared three small spheres of yellow energy. "I will admit this: if this battle were to continue as it is now, I don't think I could win. I give you credit for doing to me what you have done so far. The angels of old are surely no match for you." He closed his arms and the spheres rose slightly above his head. "But now, it matters little. In a matter of moments, you shall join those that came before you in the after-life. It ends here, angels!" He threw his right arm forward and yelled, "Fallen Angel!"

The spheres streaked forward, each one headed for a different target. Before any of them even had a chance to react, the spheres struck their targets and actually surrounded them. The spheres had done no damage and their impact had not even been felt. However, their purpose was not to cause harm. Instead, the spheres that now surrounded the angels inhibited their movement, thus trapping them in a strange sort of prison.

"What the hell!" cried Lloyd.

Sheena pounded her fists against the walls of the sphere. "W-what's going on here? I can't get out!"

Working with his constricted environment, Kratos tried slamming Polaris against the sphere but to no avail. It was like striking reinforced diamond. "What is this?"

Nebilim laughed again. "It worked! Ha!" He stopped laughing and looked at the once confident Kratos straight in the eyes. "I used a special attack that only works on those with angelic blood in their veins. It traps them within an impenetrable sphere of mana, thus rendering the angel in question completely helpless." He brought a hand to his chin and rubbed it in thought. "Now I can do whatever I want to all of you. Only one question remains: which of you will be the first to die?" Not lowering his arm, he slowly made his way over to the angels.

Kratos looked on as Lloyd and Sheena pounded furiously on their unbreakable prisons. For the first time in who knows how long, Kratos felt almost completely helpless. Almost. He looked down at his Angel Arm, it's faint, powder blue energy shining silently on his wrist. Bringing his left arm up, he grabbed his Angel Arm and closed his eyes. "Lloyd… Sheena… I've failed you so many times in the past." The Angel Arm began to glow more fiercely and Kratos opened his eyes. "I won't fail you again!"

With a mighty yell that took everyone including Nebilim by surprise, Kratos smashed his right fist into the sphere, creating a blindingly bright flash of light. Shards of solidified mana flew everywhere and a deafening noise rumbled all-throughout the nearly ruined temple. When the light finally dimmed, Nebilim nearly fell over in shock, for there in front of him stood Kratos, though he was not the same as he was before.

"D-dad!" yelled Lloyd. Your Angel Arm!"

Kratos let his right arm fall to his side, revealing to the children what had happened: a very large crack now ran along a good portion of the Angel Arm and it no longer glowed as it did before.

Nebilim could not believe what he was seeing. "W-what the hell did you do! That's impossible!"

Kratos closed his eyes and ran his left hand along the now rough surface of the Angel Arm. "I did the only thing that I could do: I expended every last ounce of energy from the Angel Arm in order to destroy the barrier surrounding me. Although I am free now, it has come at a steep price: it seems that my Angel Arm will no longer activate."

"Dad…" said Sheena quietly, not knowing what to say to this.

Nebilim stomped his right foot. "Fool! What do you hope to accomplish by this? Without the Angel Arm, you're nothing!"

Lloyd pounded on the walls of his prison. "Dad, tell us how to break out of here! We'll help you!"

"No Lloyd!" yelled his father.

"W-what?"

Kratos turned partially to the young angels. "Listen to me very closely you two. There's another way to break the barrier. In fact, it is getting weaker as we speak."

"Huh? What do you-"

Kratos waved his arm. "Although the process is slow, your Angel Arms are slowly eating away at the very forces that bind these prisons together. If given enough time, you should be able to free yourselves without destroying your Angel Arms. If we still have the Angel Arms, then we still stand a chance!"

"B-but dad," stuttered Sheena, "How are we going to get enough time to break free?"

Nebilim smirked. "She brings up a good point Kratos. Do you think I'll just stand by and wait for them to be free? Ha!"

Kratos shook his head. "No Nebilim, I don't think you'll do that." He drew Hyperion (A/N: I finally named his new non-Angel Arm sword) from its sheath and swung it from side-to-side. "That's why I broke myself free."

Nebilim took a step back, surprised. "What? You're going to fight me without the Angel Arm? You've lost your mind, Aurion!"

Lloyd pounded on the walls of his prison once again. "Dad, don't do it! You don't stand a chance! You're going to die if you fight him like that! You have to get away from here!"

Tears began to trickle down Sheena's cheek. "Dad, please, run away. We don't want you to die!"

Kratos closed his eyes and allowed the memories of Welgaia to reverberate in his head.__

"I don't care! I'd give up everything I have left for them! My life included!"

_"If you ever need me… I would gladly die for either of you."_

"I can't run away. I won't run away…" He opened his eyes and glared at Nebilim. "Never again!" He pointed Hyperion at the demon and allowed his blue wings to flare to life. "Come at me demon! If you want my beloved children, you'll have to get past me first! I promise it won't be easy!"

Nebilim smirked. "So be it… seraphim."

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Not bad, 2,300 words. 'course, the delay between updates was horrific XX I'm sorry to leave the story at a cliffhanger like this, but I promise I'll make it up to y'all someday. Please wish me luck for the writing contest! Be sure to check out my newly posted site for updates on the story I am submitting to the contest. If you wanna read it, I will have updates pretty much everyday! Hope you like it! Until then, please look forward to Chapter 28: Broken Wings.

In other news, as I said before, the site is back up with all of the old features including several updates to the pairings page, including a few more entries plus more commentary on each pairing. Please check it out and my new story! Furthermore, it's time for another vote! I've finally narrowed down what I want to work on ToS wise to two stories: Knocking on Heaven's Door and Super Symphonia. UL will most likely end before Crossing the Bridge so I have to figure out which story to start after UL ends. You can read the descriptions of the stories on my profile but I'll sum it up like this: if you want some quality humor, pick Super Symhponia. If you want a piece of spiritual romance that I believe (and I really mean this) will surpass UL in all categories, even if you don't like PreseaXLloyd. Let me know what you think! I love you guys/gals!


	28. Broken Wings

A/N: Let me start off first by asking for your forgiveness. I never meant to keep all of you waiting so long for dumb ol' Steve, but I've been having a bit of a rough time with writing. I don't know why but I've felt pretty… lethargic these past couple of months. I tried to get myself back into a writing groove several times by producing some one-shots but, as you can see, that didn't work out too well. In any case, I hope you can forgive me. I will do my best to keep producing what I hope is quality fan-fiction for y'all.

Well… the host site has taken away my ability to respond to the readers in the fashion that I had always done in the past, so there will, sadly, be no more sessions of "Respond to the Readers". However, starting with the reviews to this chapter, I will use the individual response thingy that the site implemented. It's not what I wanted, but it'll have to do. See, some people ask questions that everyone wants to hear the answer to. Now, if they wanna know, they'll have to ask themselves. This sucks. So sorry. I'll do my best to keep up with responses.

Okay then, enough with the jibber-jabber. Now presenting one of the most anticipated chapters of UL: the battle between the Angel Arm-less Kratos and the lord of Niflheim, Nebilim. For Kratos, this is for all the marbles. His friends, family, and world are on the line. For Nebilim, victory means the end of any resistance towards him. Here we go!

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Chapter 28: Broken Wings

The air stood eerily still as the powerful opposing forces did nothing but stare at one another. Whether they were merely waiting for the other to make the first move or just enjoying the calm before the storm was unclear, but one thing for was for sure: if Kratos lost this battle, Symphonia was done for. There would be no middle-ground for other side. Kill or be killed was the name of this game.

Kratos had hoped against hope that it wouldn't have come to this. He had trained himself and the children for what he thought was every possible situation. Every situation, that is, except for this one. The angel Arms were eternal. Never once did he think that his would be broken, even by someone like Nebilim. In uncertain times such as this one, he knew that there was always one thing he could rely on: pure instinct that had done nothing but develop more and more over a four-thousand year span. These days, however, there was one more thing he could rely on: determination. Caring little for his own life, he saw no problem in going all-out, even if it meant his own destruction, as long as he was able to protect his loved-ones.

Despite having the odds stacked highly in his favor, Nebilim was no fool and was prepared to receive the fight of his long life from Kratos. While he no longer had the Angel Arm to protect him, Nebilim had little doubt in his mind that Kratos was still a fierce opponent. Even without it, with his years of experience alone, he may have been just as powerful as and perhaps even more powerful than any of the angels of old. Nebilim had been defeated five-thousand years due to his own over-confidence and would be damned if he would allow it to end again like that.

Not far from where the powerful entities, Lloyd and Sheena sat helplessly within their mystic prisons. More than anything else in the world, they wanted to be able to help their father in battle. Before their imprisonment, the trio of angels had been on a marvelous roll in dealing with the demonic overlord. Given more time, they may have even been able to put an end to him once and for all. However, this was all a moot point now that the trio was essentially decimated by Nebilim's latest trick. All the boy and girl could do at this point was stare helplessly and pray for the best.

Kratos stood defiantly in front of the prisons that held his two children, his spectral wings flapping silently behind him. He swung Hyperion slowly through the air, a faint trail of blue light following in it wake. "Make your move demon."

Nebilim snorted at the calm angel. "As you wish. Prepare yourself." Ready for what he believed would be the fight of his life and knowing full well that he had an uncertain amount of time until the children were freed from their prisons, Nebilim wasted no time in morphing his arms into the grotesque Nebilim twin-blades. The curves of the blades waved in an uneven and almost dizzying fashion. Just looking at them made Kratos feel uneasy and perhaps even nauseous. Nebilim smiled. "Let us begin."

Kratos nodded and lowered himself into a defensive stance. "You will not find me easy prey."

Nebilim's smile changed to a smirk. "Good. I was hoping you'd say that."

Tired of pre-battle banter, Nebilim took it upon himself to go on the offensive. Leaping forward his blades clashed with Kratos' own sword and shield with great driving force. Kratos had prepared himself for the worst but learned quickly that, without his Angel Arm, he was at an even worse disadvantage than he had been before. As such, the mere force of the attack alone drove Kratos nearly ten feet back despite his trying to dig his boots into the ground to hold his ground. Acting relentlessly, Nebilim leapt forward once again toward the ancient angel. This time however, Kratos managed to jump out of the way, just narrowly avoiding Nebilim's brutal attack.

Landing quickly, Kratos planted both feet firmly on the ground as he closed his eyes and chanted something quietly to himself, his sword pointed at Nebilim. Judging by just Nebilim's first two attacks alone, he knew that standing his ground alone would allow him to last nowhere near as long as he had to against the demon. If he was to last, he would have to take the offensive at times. If for no other reason than to have Nebilim pause for even a miniscule amount of time. Every second, every fraction of a second, was precious to Kratos.

Nebilim turned back to his foe, his smirk the same as it was before. "Hmph. Are you even going to try?"

Kratos paid little attention to what the demon had to say, instead focusing his concentration on his incantation. "He has to have a weakness. If I can find it, perhaps I'll have a chance." His spell finished, Kratos opened his eyes. Coursing from his arm to his blade were several small arcs of blue lightning, leaving sparks dancing on the tip of his blade. His target set, Kratos yelled "Lightning!", letting loose a continuous stream of mystic energy at Nebilim.

Lightning slammed into the chest of the mighty demon, lighting up his body as if it were some sort of long-forgotten piece of magitechnology. However, Nebilim appeared to be unfazed by the attack as he walked through the lightning like it was nothing. His sword-arms transformed back into their original state as spiked plates of organic matter covered his shins. "That tickles," he said mockingly.

Unwilling to be disheartened by the failure of his attack, Kratos broke off his spell and took two spells back and began another incantation. "Erup-"

Before he could complete his latest spell, Nebilim moved so quickly toward Kratos that those who didn't know better would have sworn he had teleported. "Too slow!" he yelled as he slammed one of the Apocalypse grieves into Kratos' right side, sending the angel flying nearly fifteen feet away.

Hitting the ground hard but unwilling to succumb to what he believed was a broken rib, Kratos propped himself up on one knee and pointed his sword once again at Nebilim. The demon was not going to give Kratos the time to complete one of his longer spells so he would have to settle for his repertoire of lower level spells. A few nearly-silent words and his next spell was ready. "Fireball!"

Three medium-sized balls of flame shot forth from the tip of the blade and began to home in on their target, Nebilim. Just as before, he felt no sense of urgency in evading the angel's attacks until the very last second. The first ball was dodged with a very shallow duck, the second was avoided by Nebilim simply raising his right arm, and the third ball was actually knocked away with his left arm, sending the sphere of mystic energy slamming into the western wall of the Shadow Temple. Nebilim smirked. "Pathetic. Care to try again?"

A cold bead of sweat trickled down Kratos' now-dirty face. "Damn you," he muttered to himself. Muttering even more ancient words to himself, Kratos prepared to launch his next spell.

"Hmph," grunted Nebilim as the spiked plates on his shins disappeared. He held up his right arm and watched as his hand was slowly replaced by a sinister looking ball of organic mass attached to a long whip-like rope. "Your magic is no good against me."

Once again pointing his blade at Nebilim, Kratos finished his next incantation by yelling "Grave!" Four great spears of hardened earth thrust forth from the floors of the temple in an effort to impale the mighty demon. To Kratos' horror, upon making contact with their target, all four spears shattered into millions of pieces as if they had struck two feet of reinforced diamond.

"No good!" yelled Nebilim gleefully as he launched the whip-like weapon at Kratos' bent knee. Upon reaching Kratos, the organic ball wrapped itself around his leg and quickly tightened itself. Satisfied with the strength of the restraint he placed on Kratos, before the angel could react, Nebilim pulled mightily on the whip, sending Kratos flying through the air. While in mid-flight, Nebilim drastically changed the direction of the pull, sending the bound Kratos slamming into on of the walls of the Shadow Temple.

Still tied to the ball and whip, Kratos struggled to regain control of the situation whilst he fought against the immense pain suffered in his collision with the wall. Before he had the time to formulate any sort of strategy though, Nebilim pulled on the ball and whip and once again sent Kratos flying into a wall. There would be no time for a well-thought strategy in a situation like this. He had to take action if he was going to survive this. Not even knowing if he'd be able to hit his target, Kratos began preparing yet another spell as he was picked up and slammed into another wall.

Nebilim laughed maniacally. "Having fun yet Kratos?" Nebilim pull on the whip once again and slammed Kratos into another wall.

This was it, now or never. "Judgment!" yelled Kratos as he flailed about wildly.

The roof of the temple illuminated at the conclusion of Kratos' incantation, brining at least a dim amount of light to the otherwise dark room. From the ceiling above Nebilim rained down great beams of light which crashed into several of the massive floor tiles surrounding the demon. As he was slammed against the wall once again, Kratos began to wonder if any of the beams would hit. Fortune smiled upon Kratos when the last beam struck Nebilim dead-on. The beam was far too weak to inflict any real damage on the demon but it was enough to at least startle Nebilim long enough for Kratos to carry out his hastily improvised plan to free himself from Nebilim's grasp.

"Now!" yelled Kratos as he swung Hyperion at the whip that bound him. The blade made contact with the whip, cutting it cleanly and bringing forth a cry of pain from Nebilim. Still flying through the air, Kratos slammed into the wall one last time before he came crashing back down to the floor, bloody and in extreme pain.

Nebilim grabbed his hand as it reverted back to its original state minus one of his talon-like fingers. Grimacing in pain, he focused a small amount of dark energy on the wound, allowing a small amount of putrid flesh to cover the wound. He knew it would grow back eventually but was shocked by the fact that Kratos had actually managed to injure him. "Grr…" He turned his attention to the struggling Kratos. "Not bad seraph, but you'll need far more than that if you want to defeat me."

A small knot appeared on his chest seconds later which he then tugged on slowly. The knot grew steadily bigger and bigger until it turned into a longer yet thinner piece of organic matter. He pulled on it until it finally came out of his chest at nearly six feet long. He held the rod of organic material in his hands as it slowly solidified and turned into the Heart of Chaos staff. Tapping the sphere on the end of the staff into the open palm of his four-fingered hand, Nebilim's once-proud smirk turned instead to a look of pure hate. "Killing you alone won't satisfy me Kratos. I want you to bleed… I want you to scream in pain… I want to torment you until you start begging for death." Staff in hand, the mighty demon began walking toward Kratos.

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Over in their seemingly inescapable prisons, Lloyd and Sheena could do naught but stare in horror as their father was being mauled by the ultra-powerful Nebilim. They had been trying to free themselves for quite some time now but didn't know where to begin in finding a way to escape. At this point, both would've gladly given up their Angel Arms just for a chance to help Kratos. He had warned the premature destruction of the energy prison would weaken or perhaps even destroy their Angel Arms as was the case with Kratos but it simply did not matter to them.

"Damnit!" yelled Lloyd as he pounded the walls of his prison. "How the hell do we get out of here!"

Sheena shook her head furiously. "I can't summon any of the spirits! I don't know what to do!"

From within her prison, a small puff of smoke initially hid the appearance of Corinne, the physical manifestation of Verius. Sheena's long-time "pet" shook it's head sadly as it spoke. "There's nothing you can do Sheena… or even _should_ do. Remember what Kratos said? If you break out of the prison before-"

Sheena threw her arms outward as far as she could. "I know, I know! But Corinne, we can't just sit back and watch our dad die!"

"But without the Angel Arms, you can't-"

Lloyd pounded the walls of his prison once again. "Who cares! We beat Abyssion without the Angel Arms and we can beat Nebilim without them too!"

Corinne turned to Lloyd and spoke to him in the voice that Verius normally used. "Don't be foolish Lloyd. I'm tied to the hearts of both you and Sheena, so whatever pain the two of you feel, I feel too. I don't want Kratos to die either, but if it's necessary for both the survival of you and Sheena and all of Symphonia as well, then it's a risk that Kratos is willing to take."

Sheena sat in stunned silence as she watched Kratos get knocked across the room by a well-aimed golf-like swing of the Heart of Chaos. Breaking away from her petrified awe, she asked Corinne. "A risk… that dad is willing to take?"

Corinne turned back to Sheena and spoke in the voice that she was so used to hearing. "He had a feeling that something like this would happen. Late last night, he came to speak to me at my altar and asked me to look after both of you. He told me that, no matter what happens to himself, to not allow either of you to place yourselves in danger for his sake."

Unbelieving of anything Corinne had to say, Lloyd asked, "What? Dad… knew this was going to happen."

Corinne turned back to Lloyd. "I don't know if he actually knew or not. All he said was that he had a feeling. I don't think it's possible for anyone short of Origin to see into the future, but…"

Sheena briefly turned her attention back to the fight at hand. Just as she broke away from Corinne, she witnessed Kratos plunging his blade deep into the chest of Nebilim. Both demon and angel stared at each other in silence for what seemed like an eternity before Nebilim pulled himself away from the blade and clubbed Kratos in the right cheek with his staff, sending the mighty angel to the ground.

Unwilling to simply sit by and watch any longer, Sheena picked up Corrine and began to shake him. "Corinne! Verius! I can't take this any longer! You know how to get out of here, don't you!"

Silence.

"Corinne!"

"I do," he replied solemnly.

Tears rolled freely down Sheena's cheek. "I'm begging you Corinne… as a friend… please… let us out of here. We have to save our dad."

Corinne shook his head. "I'm sorry Sheena, but I can't… I _won't_ do that."

"Why not!" cried Lloyd in frustration.

Corinne looked over at Nebilim and Kratos, his gaze stern. "Look at Kratos. Do you have any idea how hard he is fighting right now?"

"Of course we do!" yelled Lloyd. "That's why we have to help him!"

Corinne shook his head. "No. That's exactly why you must wait until the prison dissipates."

"What? What do you mean?" asked Sheena.

Corinne never shifted his gaze as he continued to speak. "Kratos doesn't care about anything right now except for the two of you. The salvation of Symphonia is so far away in his mind right now that hasn't once thought of it since the battle began. He's willing to endure any amount of pain or grief so long as the two of you are safe in the end. If you destroy the Angel Arms in order to break the prison just to save him, then all his pain and suffering… perhaps even his death if it should ever come to pass… will mean nothing. He will have endured all just to lose everything that he fought so hard to preserve in the end. Is that what you want, for his life to be in vain?"

Sheena sat quietly, stunned. Unsure of what to say, Lloyd replied, "No, but-,"

"Then I beg you to practice patience and have faith in your father. He loves both of you more than anything. Believe me, I know… I've felt it."

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Kratos fell to the ground, his strength rapidly leaving him. His breathing was both heavy and labored, due mostly to the recent breaking of two more ribs on his right side. Struggling to move, Kratos found it extremely difficult to merely prop himself up on one leg. Kratos was losing the battle and there was little he could do about it.

Nebilim held the spherical end of the Heart of Chaos to the gash in his chest and slowly pushed it in. The injury was minor but the insult severe. Again, Kratos had managed to injure the mighty demon, a task once thought to be virtually impossible to accomplish. With every moment that passed by, his hatred for Kratos grew. Furthermore, he knew time was running out before the Angel Arms broke the children out of their prisons. He had to kill Kratos and he had to do it quickly.

Closing his eyes, Nebilim secreted a strange ooze from the many pores on his body that slowly made its way up to his right hand. As it gathered, it grew and slowly took the form of the Diablos axe. Once completed, Nebilim tossed the hideous-looking axe from hand-to-hand, getting a feel for the balance of the weapon. "Excellent." Opening his eyes, he looked at Kratos, the hate in his eyes apparent. "Hey Kratos!"

Kratos finally managed to stand up and stare at the powerful demon. "What?" he grunted.

Nebilim smiled. "Catch." Tossing the axe up one last time and catching it, Nebilim launched the axe towards the battered angel.

Instinctively, Kratos raised his shield to deflect the missile. However, the effort proved to be futile as the demonic axe easily shattered Kratos' already damaged shield and dug itself deep into the right half of his chest, bringing forth a howl of pain that would've horrified even the bravest of warriors.

Nebilim chuckled diabolically. "Nice catch."

"Dad!" yelled Lloyd and Sheena in unison from their prisons.

After his initial howl of pain, Kratos spit out a large puddle's worth of blood on a floor tile between his boots. Under normal circumstances, even a man of Kratos' power would've succumbed to the large number of injuries the seraph had already suffered. However, these were far from normal circumstances and Kratos wasn't ready to give up yet. Mustering a seemingly unearthly amount of strength, Kratos slowly pulled the axe out of his chest and threw it on the ground. Once done, his pain overtook him and he dropped to his knees, gasping for air.

Nebilim's dark smile faded. "Hmph. Why won't you die?"

Even in his mangled state, Kratos managed a blood-stained smile. "Because you're not dead yet." At the completion of his sentence, Hyperion glowed with a holy light, no doubt conjured up by Kratos.  
Wasting no time, Kratos raised the blade up as high as he could and quickly plunged it downward into Diablos.

"W-what?" asked Nebilim, confused.

A bright flash of light emanated from Hyperion, blinding all who bore witness to its luminance. When the light subsided, Nebilim watched as Diablos was completely destroyed, reduced to nothing more than a few shining atoms.

"Augh!" cried Nebilim as he grabbed his chest in pain.

"Huh? What just happened?" asked Sheena.

Corinne arched his neck forward as he tried to get a better look. "I see... since the Devil Arms are in fact part of Nebilim, it's only natural to assume that the destruction of the arms would cause great pain to Nebilim."

Lloyd was too busy cheering on his father to listen to what Corinne had to say. "Woo-hoo! Get 'im dad! Show him who's boss!"

Kratos looked on as Nebilim writhed in pain. "This is my chance. It's time to use my last ace. If this doesn't work, there's no way I can defeat him, not in this shape…" He paused. "But… I don't think I can pull this off by myself… not even with Lloyd and Sheena…" He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I have to try anyway!"

Spreading his spectral wings, Kratos took to the "sky" and looked down at Nebilim. "This is it. Let's do this!" Knowing his time to act was short, Kratos immediately took action by carrying out his plan. He started off by carving into the air what appeared to be some sort of rune that glowed a fiery-red. Next, he carved what appeared to be a rune that glowed an earthly-brown.

"Huh? What is he doing?" asked Lloyd.

Corinne looked on as Kratos carved more runes into the air. "Fire… earth… wind… lightning…light… what is he… oh no…"

"What is it Corinne?" asked Sheena.

Paying attention to neither of the children, Corinne yelled at Kratos with the voice of Verius, "Kratos, stop! There's no way you can pull this off by yourself! You don't have all the necessary elements, let alone enough raw power! Not even with Lloyd and Sheena could you do this!"

Kratos heard Verius but paid him little heed. "I know that Verius…" mumbled Kratos to himself. "…but I have to try anyway. I won't last much longer against him. This is my last chance to destroy him!"

"Kratos!" yelled Corinne helplessly.

Aligning the runes in a sort of pentagonal shape, Kratos carved mystic lines in the air connecting all five of the elemental runes together. Upon completion of his multiple-rune symbol, the edges of his blue wings glowed a very bright white, adding to their size considerably. Thrusting his sword through the middle of the air-borne symbol, Kratos converged all five runes upon the blade, causing it to glow in a prism of the five colors he had used to create the runes. The ritual complete, Kratos' raised Hyperion to the ceiling, allowing its glorious light illuminate the temple.

Nebilim shook his head, his pain still present. Opening his eyes for the first time in nearly a minute, the great demon looked upward and beheld the sight that was Kratos, blade raised skyward. He did not immediately know what was going but it wasn't long before he began to realize what Kratos was up to. "This… technique… I've seen it before, but it's been so long. Was it…" Perplexed, Nebilim focuses his attention not so much on the attack but Kratos himself. Battered, beaten, and bloodied, in this position, he closely resembled Nebilim would have rather forgotten. Now, however, it was too late for him to forget. For a brief moment, Nebilim believed he saw Vazn, leader of the nine seraphim of millennia past, instead of Kratos. The resemblance was so close in fact that Nebilim could've sworn that…

"That attack… no!" Stricken with fear, Nebilim took a step back. "It can't be! Not again!" Shaking his head, Nebilim did his best to regain his composure. "This is ridiculous! This is Kratos, not Vazn! He doesn't even have his Angel Arm anymore! There's no way he can pull off this attack!"

The divine prism of colors swirled maddeningly around Kratos. To anyone who had not seen what had happened beforehand, one might've thought that Kratos was opening a portal to another dimension. His eyes glowing, Kratos wound his blade back, as if he was ready to strike. "Nebilim!" yelled Kratos in a voice that wasn't his own.

"…can he?"

"Dad?" whispered Lloyd from within his prison. "Is that really… you?"

"**_BE GONE DEMON!_** **_FINAL JUDGMENT!_**" Sword thrusted downward, Kratos streaked toward his target, trails of slowly fading light left in his wake.

Nebilim didn't even have a chance to move before Kratos touched-down less than three feet away from. For Nebilim, the world seemed to move in slow motion as Kratos began swinging his blade at the demon and with every blow came a bright flash of light. Every blow connected but Nebilim didn't feel pain from any of them. In fact, every attack had barely left a surface scratch on his armor-like skin. However, Nebilim knew what the true purpose of the "Final Judgment" was. Its focus was not so much to cause physical harm but rather obliterate the forces that bind pure darkness together using all of the elements of the world. To accomplish this feat, a seemingly uncountable number of slashes are required to create a very complex rune. When Nebilim had been sealed away, ninety-three slashes had connected with him before he broke away. Had it been much more than that…

"No! Not again!" yelled Nebilim as he broke out of his nearly hypnotic trance. With all of the demonic fury that Kratos had quickly come to know so well, Nebilim reached out and swung at the seraph with all of his strength, knocking him away and bringing him out of his divine state.

"Dad!" yelled Sheena and Lloyd.

Paying no attention to Kratos, Nebilim looked down at his chest and counted the scratches on his chest, thirty-four in all. However, no sooner did he look at the partially completed rune than every single cut began to light up, one-by-one. Within mere seconds, every single cut was lit up. Nebilim knew what came next.

"Damn you Kratos…"

Upon completion of Nebilim's curse, every cut on his chest detonated into a dazzling array of explosions, all of varying colors, shapes, sizes. The initial blast was enough to temporarily blind everyone, leaving all who observed this magnificent feat of raw destruction wondering if Nebilim had in fact been destroyed by the blast or…

Kratos waited with gut-wrenching anxiety as he waited for the smoke to clear. Moments passed and Kratos both saw nothing and heard nothing. "Did I… do it?"

From their prisons, Sheena and Lloyd could be heard cheering. "Way to go dad! Alright! You did it!"

Kratos slowly got to his feet, using Hyperion to prop himself up. However, he was nearly knocked back down when a strange object came from the arcane mist and knocked Hyperion out of his hands and across the temple. Looking back, Kratos saw what it was that knocked his sword out of his hands: Evil Eye, the dark chakram. He turned back to the mist, his courage unchanged but his hope fading. "Damn it…"

"That hurt, seraph…" said a voice from the mist. A second later, the great demon Nebilim showed himself to all who still dared to look upon him. Reaching his hand out, he brought Evil Eye back to his hand as if it were a powerful magnet. His body scarred by mystic energies, Nebilim's scowl looked even more frightening.

"No!" cried Corinne. "He's still alive!"

The great demon rushed at Kratos full-speed. "Your time is up Kratos!"

Giving the defiant angel no chance to react, Nebilim made two quick but very deep slashes with Evil Eye across Kratos' stomach, sending him to his knees. Before Kratos could even reach down to clutch his abdomen in pain, Nebilim gave Kratos one last slash across his right eye. The trauma of losing an eye summoned an ungodly scream of pain from the dying angel and sending Kratos to the ground on his stomach.

"Dad!" yelled Lloyd in horror.

Absorbing Evil Eye back into his arm, Nebilim took a moment to enjoy the scene. It was over. It had taken much longer than he had anticipated, but Kratos was now dying in front of him. "Heh. I must admit, Kratos… you put up a hell of a fight for a lower seraph. I commend your bravery, however misplaced it may be. Unfortunately for you, you must now know what it means to cross me. You've still got one good eye, right?" He kneeled down and lifted up Kratos' head. With his other massive hand, he pointed to Lloyd, Sheena, and Corinne. "Death is far too merciful a fate for you at this point. As such, you're going to watch as I slaughter your children before your very… eye. Ha…" Nebilim let go of Kratos and began walking away, his right arm morphing into the Soul-Eater blade as he did so. "After all the trouble you've given me, I'm really going to enjoy this."

Kratos mustered up as much energy as he could so that he could look up at Nebilim walking away from him and towards his children. "No…" he whispered. "Please… no…" He tried crawling towards Nebilim but quickly found that he was getting nowhere. "Stop…"

_"Lloyd…"_

"I… I have to…"

_"Sheena…"_

"I… I can't give up…"

_"This is… my final gift to you…"_

Kratos placed both of his hands palms-down on the floor and tried pushing himself up.

_"If you ever need me…"_

Through some miraculous feat of strength, Kratos brought himself to his feet and reached into the folds of his outfit from which he drew a small dagger.

_"I would gladly die for either of you."_

"Neb-… Neb-…" He struggled. Clutching his chest with his free hand, Kratos braced himself as he prepared to yell. "Nebilim!"

The great demon stopped dead in his tracks and turned back to Kratos. Smiling, he turned back to the angel. "Unbelievable. A resolve such as yours has never before been seen in this world. A true warrior among warriors. You put Vazn to shame… for what it's worth." He walked toward the angel, Soul-Eater reared back and ready to strike. "I guess I won't get the chance to watch you suffer any longer. You need to be put down… once and for all."

"Dad!" cried Sheena. "Get away from him! You're going to die!"

Kratos smiled weakly. "Try me. I'll never let you hurt my beloved children!" With a surprisingly loud yell, Kratos lunged at the demon with his small blade. One swing, two swings, three swings… Kratos was relentless in his assault, despite the demon's easily performed dodges of his foe's attacks. For what seemed like a feeble assault, Kratos' intense desire to protect his family gave Nebilim more trouble than he thought he would get. Several swings later, Nebilim dropped his guard and, as such, Kratos got in close enough to bring his dagger close to Nebilim's face. The swing completed, Nebilim finally managed to knock Kratos away. Upon hitting the ground, he dropped his knife, too tired to even pick it back up.

"Too little, too late seraph," said Nebilim. "You-" Something dripped onto Nebilim's arm. Curious, Nebilim raised his arm to his face to investigate what had landed on his arm. "…blood?" He brought his free hand to his left cheek. A cut. Shallow, barely bleeding, but a cut all the same.

"My body has been… harmed? By such a mundane weapon?" He clenched his free hand. "Unforgivable! This insult will be your last act of defiance seraph!"

Reaching down, Nebilim grabbed Kratos by the neck as tightly as he could and raised him as high as he could. He reared back Soul-Eater, ready to strike.

"Dad! Dad!" yelled Lloyd and Sheena frantically.

Corinne closed his eyes and lowered his head. "Children, please don't watch…" he said with the voice of Verius.

Nebilim smiled again. "Any last words, Kratos Aurion?"

It was over and Kratos knew it. His spectral wings fluttered helplessly in the air, giving Kratos the image of a butterfly caught in the web of some vile spider. There would be no more defiance from him. His time had come after so many years of waiting. His eyes peered to the side at his children, both pounding on the walls of their prisons, desperately trying to get out. Smiling weakly, Kratos realized that he did have one last act of defiance within him. "Go to hell."

Nebilim chuckled. "Good bye Kratos."

"Dad! Dad!" yelled Lloyd and Sheena.

Nebilim thrust Soul-Eater forward through the chest of the ancient angel. The blood flowed freely and greatly as another unearthly scream erupted from Kratos. His wings slowly stopped flapping and began to fade away, spectral feathers slowly falling from them as they did so. Unsatisfied with the pain he had caused thus far, Nebilim drove the blade deeper and deeper into the chest of Kratos. After several moments, Nebilim swung his blade as hard as he could, flinging Kratos in between the prisons of Sheena and Lloyd.

"**_DAD!_**"

As if on cue, the walls of Lloyd's prison shattered, giving the young angel the freedom of movement once again. Completely ignoring Nebilim, Lloyd kneeled down next to his father and held his head up. "Dad! Dad! Talk to me! Please!"

Shortly afterward, Sheena's prison broke as well and she too rushed to her adoptive father's aid. "Dad? Please… open your eyes…" She sobbed as he held one of Kratos' hands to her cheek. "Please…"

Corinne walked slowly over to Kratos, looked him over, and lowered his head. "A hero among heroes… I'm so sorry Kratos."

Kratos slowly opened his eyes but could do little else than stare at his children. "L-Lloyd… She-… Sheena…"

"How touching," mocked Nebilim. "Congratulations Kratos. You managed to survive long enough to free your children. Amazing." He smirked and reared back Soul-Blade once again. "Not that it matters now! Farewell weak-"

"Mjolnir!"

From the shadows of the stairs leading to the surface came a massive hammer brimming with lightning. Before he had a chance to react, the massive hammer struck Nebilim in the chest, both sending him flying across the room and striking him with an unearthly amount of lightning mana. Hitting the ground, the hammer disappeared as if it had never been.

Shaken by this latest attack, Nebilim shook his head and propped himself back up. "Who dares attack me?"

The attention of Corinne, Sheena, and Lloyd turned to the stairs as they witnessed a sight that they could not believe they were seeing. "Y-you!" cried Sheena.

Two slender, bare feet touched down on the floor of the Shadow Temple. The white gown of a divine maiden was supplemented only by a small, steel-blue breast-plate, shoulder pads, and wrist guards. Her hair, unfashioned yet beautiful all the same, was topped with an ornate helmet of the same colors as her torso armor, well fashioned wings adorning the sides of it. In her small left hand was a golden ring of pure energy, its appearance resembling that of an angel's halo. Her most distinguishing feature however was the large, feathery wings on her back and the familiar bracer on her right wrist that Kratos, Sheena, and Lloyd carried. Despite having the look of one of the valkyrie warriors of old, the unique determination in her face was unmistakable.

"Colette!" yelled Lloyd. "Is it… is it really you."

She turned to her long-time friend and nodded. "It's me Lloyd, Sheena…" She looked down and noticed the broken body of Kratos. Walking over, she kneeled down and let a single tear roll down her cheek. "Kratos… I'm so sorry…"

He turned his attention to her, struggling to simply put the letters together to form her name. "C-… Col… Colette…"

"Damnit!" yelled Nebilim. Absorbing Soul-Eater back into his arm, he plunged his now-free hand into the floor of the temple, sending a large wave of earthen spears at the angels. "Eat this!"

Unsure of how to defend against this attack, Lloyd jumped in front of his father's body, ready to take the blow for him. "No!"

Without anyone initially noticing, a figure dashed past Lloyd and stood stoically in the way. "I'll take care of this!"

Lloyd took a step back. "You're-"

"Omni-guardian!" yelled the mysterious person as he erected a seemingly impregnable wall of force between himself and the spears of earth. Just as he had hoped, the spears smashed themselves into the wall and shattered into a million pieces.

"Damnit!" yelled Nebilim.

The figure turned back to Lloyd. His boots and pants were quite plain, a dull white, but his torso was another story altogether. Although the rest of his body was not armored, the golden plate mail he wore was of unbelievable quality and seemed to be of a higher density than even reinforced mythril. His arms past the shoulder plates were bare but within each hand he held something different. In the left hand, he held a magnificent shield with the image of a kneeling, praying angel on the front. In his right hand was a sword that in all respects except for one, it looked exactly like the sword Kratos wielded in his High Seraph form. Its one difference was that it glowed like the son and, as such, was named "Solaris". His long red hair was supported by a white sweatband, the look all too familiar to everyone in the room save for Nebilim. Like Colette before him, he carried large, feathery wings on his back and an Angel Arm bracer on his right wrist.

"Z-Zelos!" cried Lloyd. "You're here too!"

He nodded. "I know y'all tried to keep us from coming but we couldn't just let the three of you take on this menace by yourselves. We may not be as strong as you guys, but I know we can be of some use all the same." He moved his left arm about… the arm that had been at least at one time been paralyzed. "Seems that the angel arm has fixed up my arm and legs too."

Lloyd grabbed Zelos' hand and dragged him over to Kratos. "Zelos, please! You're the only other person that can use healing magic! You have to save my dad!"

Zelos shook his head. "I… I can't. The physical damage is far too severe and the spiritual damage caused by Soul-Eater can't be fixed, not even with Miracle."

Sheena grabbed Zelos' other hand and shook it frantically. "Please! Isn't there anything you can do?"

Kratos weakly turned to Zelos and tried to shake his head. "N-no… Zelos is… right…" he coughed. "B-but… can you try… anyway? Maybe it will le-lessen the p-pain…"

Zelos nodded and did as he was told. Laying his open palms on Kratos' bloodied chest, Zelos muttered several ancient words to himself. A faint glow surrounded Kratos' entire, mending many of his injuries. "There… is that a little better?" he asked.

Kratos coughed and nodded. "Yes, thank you." He turned to Corinne. "Verius, could you please buy us a few minutes of time? I need to talk to my children."

Corinne nodded. "As you wish," said he said as Verius. "It is the least I can do."

Nodding weakly to Kratos, Sheena turned her attention to Corinne. Drawing the Heart of Symphonia from her sleeve, she threw it on the ground and yelled, "Verius! Heart Barrier!"

Just as it had done before, a large, pink dome surrounded the angels. Corinne braced himself against the barrier as he watched Nebilim. "Please hurry. I don't know how long I can hold Nebilim for."

From outside of the barrier, the irritated Nebilim could be heard muttering, "Hmph. You're only delaying the inevitable."

Kratos looked at everyone and smiled. "Haha… looks like we still have a chance…"

Tried to fight back his tears, Lloyd smiled and nodded. "Yeah… thanks to you."

Sheena leaned down to hug her adoptive father. "Dad, please don't leave us…"

Kratos closed his eyes. "There's so much I want to tell you but I don't have the time, nor do I have the words. I'll… try to be brief…"

He first turned to Colette. "Colette, your bravery knows no bounds. Never before in my life have I met a young lady as strong-hearted as you. Looking back, there is little wonder as to how you made it through your journey across all of Symphonia. I'm sure your father is proud of you."

"Kratos…" whispered a tear-struck Colette.

He then turned to Zelos. "Zelos, for much of your life, you have known only sin. Many thought you to be a lost cause, especially after what happened at the Tower of Salvation." He paused. "However, since then, you have become a man reborn. The noble side within you has finally shown its true colors. Though your body was shattered and your heart was in shambles, you found a way to move on and even learned how to truly live life."

Zelos said nothing but instead gripped Kratos' right hand tightly.

He then turned to Sheena. "Sheena… the daughter I always wanted but never quite had." He watched her blush for a moment before continuing. "Although we met under strange circumstances, it was easy to tell from the start that you had the soul of a true angel. Your kindness and infinite love for those that mean the most to you is remarkable. If everyone in this world had a soul more like yours, our world would be a much better place to live." He motioned for her to come closer to him. She did so and he whispered into her ear, "I would've been honored to walk you down the aisle on your wedding day."

At the conclusion of Kratos' speech, she merely whispered "Dad…" and cried on Colette's shoulder.

Finally, he turned to Lloyd. "Lloyd… my son…"

Lloyd shook his head. "You don't have to say anything dad. I already know what you're going to say."

Kratos nodded. "I see… in that case, I have only one last thing to say to you Lloyd… something I don't believe I've ever told you since we met again…"

"What is it dad?" asked Lloyd.

For the first time ever that Lloyd had ever seen, tears began to roll down Kratos' cheek. "I… I love you son…" Doing his best to fight back the tears, Kratos weakly raised his right hand. "Give me… your right hand…"

Without questioning his father, Lloyd lowered his right hand which Kratos immediately clasped one hand over the Angel Arm and one hand on Lloyd's palm.

Kratos smiled as more tears rolled down his cheek. It was then that his body slowly began to fade away, small parts of him becoming nothing more than shining atoms. "Once upon a time, I thought that… four-thousand years was far too long a time…" He paused briefly and took a deep breath as he body continued to fade. "It is… only now that I realize that…" His body had almost completely faded by now. "…four-thousand years… simply isn't… enough… time…" Upon the completion of his sentence, Kratos finally faded away, leaving behind only a very dim glow in Lloyd's Angel Arm that promptly died.

"Dad? Dad?" Lloyd reached for his father but felt nothing. This was no illusion. His father was gone. "Dad…no…" Lloyd slumped where he kneeled and began to sob. Not knowing what to say or do, Sheena and Colette could do little but hold the young angel as he wept. His face turned away from the scene, tears also began to roll down the cheeks of Zelos.

"Kratos…"

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_Iselia…_

Presea sat alone in a chair, he mind wandering here and there. She was worried about Sheena, Lloyd, and Kratos and had wondered where Zelos and Colette had run off too. Knowing that she could do nothing to rectify the situation, all she can do was sit… and wait.

It was then the cry of a familiar companion caught her attention.

"Noishe?" she said to herself as she walked to the window.

Outside, she could see Noishe staring up at the sky, howling at something. Although she had no real way of knowing, Presea thought that for some reason, Noishe might be sad.

"Is Noishe… sad?" she paused, pondered. "Did something happen?"

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_Welgaia…_

Calvo walked into the chamber that held Yuan's special life-support pod, ready to perform his routine checks on it. He sighed. For as long as he could remember, he had wondered is Nebilim would ever be defeated. Shaking his head and focusing instead on the task at hand, Calvo peered inside of the pod to make sure everything looked alright when he noticed something strange on the cheek of Yuan.

"A… tear?" he said unbelievingly. "What did… how did… what's going on here?"

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…whew. And there you have it. I have no good excuses for the long wait. All I can ask is that you please forgive me for the long wait. I will honestly do my best to become more regular with my updates.


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